"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [ظ‎‎١‎٦] (٦١٦/٣٧)

16 ADMINISTEATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
generally have the cordial support of the Mullahs, the Customs Administr f
is still very unpopular. atlon
Thus when in February 1906 the Director-General prohibited the land*
of cargo from native coasting boats at private wharves as had previouslv h 1 ^
the custom, an appeal to the TJluma was at once made, and on this occasion th 1
latter were able to induce the Director-General to cancel the order ontl
boatmen agreeing to discharge their cargo in the presence of a customs official 6
The fact is that the introduction of the new tariff has given an enorm
impetus to smuggling, with which it is impossible for the Customs Admiak!
tration, as at present equipped, to compete effectively, and any Director wh'
attempts to do so with too much persistence, especially in reference to the arms
traffic, naturally makes himself anathema to the native element.
The result of this ubiquitous smuggling is that the customs import
revenue at Bushire is gradually diminishing and the only effective remedv
would be a return to an all round 5 per cent, tariff to escape which native craft
would net find it worth while running much risk.
In October 1905 the inland Customs Bureaux at Daliki on the Bushire-
Shiraz road, and Godar-Balutak on the Ahwaz-Tspahan road were abolished'
at the instance of the Residency and His Majesty's Legation.
The smuggling of arms from Maskat to the coast of Fars and Persian
Arms Traffic. Mekran has continued to flourish in spite
of all efforts made to check it The
present Director-General of Customs, Monsieur Heynssens, has, I believe done
his utmost to contend with the traffic and specific information received of
consignments of arms going across from Maskat has been at once communi
cated to him ; but at present he is not adequately equipped for coping with the
determined resistance generally offered-by the smugglers who are invariably
assisted by the villagers on shore. Furthermore, it is impossible to expect
petty native officials even if honest to do their duty fearlessly when located in
isolated places, at the mercy of local inhabitants, who only tolerate their
presence as long as they remain innocuous and merely ornamental.
Thmat the small Tangistan port of Kari, in May 1005, a representatiye
or the customs who had been deputed to inves igate a case of arms smueglinff
was flogged^and expelledJiy the inhabitants, and on the proceedinff
to the locality to his assistance, she was unable to take any action as the
natives who were well armed would not allow anyone to approach the shore.
On another occasion, in December 1905, a customs sailing-boat contaimnff
a Mudir and four tofangebis was despatched from Lingah to intercept a boat
from Maskat of whose departure from the latter port the Customs Authorities
had been warned by the fiesidency. The boat fell in with the Dhow but was
nred on and had a man wounded, and failed to prevent the Dhow from
r 7tf nill S^ ? re , ai1 !* Partially landing her cargo. In the meantime the
Mozaffer arrived with the Director of Customs, and as soon as she appeared
the smugglers decamped to the hills with what rifles they had managed to land.
The deputy Director, however, followed them and succeeded in unearthing
some of the arms which had been buried; 85 rifles, 15,000 cartridges and 7
revolvers being recovered in all. g * a u i
I mention these two instances to demonstrate the difficulties with which
the customs at present have to contend, but it is hoped that the employment
ae ve sea-going launches which the Government of India are having cons-
cwnf + ^ombay Dockyard for the Persian Government and which are
in +hp ^ ass ^ Customs Administration materially
m the suppression of the traffic.
-he export of the following commodities was placed under embargo
^ Embargoes. at different times during the year
up to thtei^ofXeyeaf. 0 ' 18 0f ^ PerSian Gulf fr0m 17111 I)eoember 1903
that ? C ,^ er to eDd of the year. The eustoms notified
but as a matter nf lambsMns would not be permitted after 3rd January 1906,