"ملف ٢/ ٢ I التهريب بين الكويت والعراق" [و‎‎١‎٢‎١] (٤٤٤/٢٤٦)

I
duties levied in Iraq on the articles principally so traded in
such as Sugar t iea f Coffee* Matches* Gigaret-te paper and
Tobacco. It is not possible to state the extent of loss in
Customs revenue to Iraq* but if it is assumed that the seizures
made amount to one-tenth of the contraband trade then a rough
estimate of £30*000 annually can be mentioned. It is possible
that a certain quantity of this illegal trade emanates
from Arabia proper* but the difficulties of transport in an
almost waterless tract of desert help to discount this
alternative. As a measure of prevention* the importation of
manufactured articles of origin foreign to Arabia is forbidden
across the land frontiers between Zobeir and Nej&t and at
places on the Chatt-al-Arab except Fao* Seeba* Abul ^asib and
Basrah. The posting of an armed sea-going vessel to patrol
the entrances of the Shatt-alArab and the Khor Abdalla is now
contemplated.
Smuggling being as profitable as it is found to be,
there is reason to suppose that organized arrangements are being
employed by the traffickers. Formerly the main trade of Aobeir
was illicit, but the armed patrol cars have acted as a check to
some extent and the area of wrong-doing is thus being spread.
It is natural that bad characters - not necessarily residents
of :<oweit - are finding employment in the manner indicated and
affrays are fre uent. Within the last year three ^uoijis
(Iraq Customs guards) have been killed by rifle fire and quite
as many smugglers have been similarly accounted for.
It cannot be said that His Excellency the ; heikh of
Koweit is a party to the malpractices describee:* but there is
no doubt that his people - and perhaps some of his officials -
find a very profitable living by what occurs. The Kingdom of
Iraq and the State of Koweit are on friendly terms and it is
very necessary that an agreement should be reached to put a
stop/