Customs seize shipment of fireworks at Aqaba Port

AMMAN — Customs personnel in Aqaba on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle fireworks into the country in a shipping container, a Jordan Customs Department (JCD) official said.

The importer had presented documents claiming the container was carrying medical equipment, the official told The Jordan Times.

“Our agents, in coordination with other security agencies, responded to a tip that fireworks were to be smuggled into the Kingdom in a container coming from an Asian country,” the official added.

The official added that agents and security officers waited for the shipment and searched it the minute it arrived in port.

“We found 1,280 cartons inside the container that were filled with fireworks,” the official explained.

Customs agents seized the shipment, which was intended for transport to a merchant in Amman in violation of the law, according to the JCD official.

The case was referred to the customs department prosecutor for legal action, according to a statement from the JCD.

The fines were estimated at JD53,000, according to the official.

“If the fines are paid then the fireworks will be sent back to the country of origin. It all depends on the court’s ruling,” the official said.

“In the event that the fines are not paid, the official added, the fireworks “will be destroyed in Jordan”.

The import of fireworks into the Kingdom is considered dangerous to society and public safety, the JCD statement stated.

In 2009, the government banned the import of fireworks, excluding those imported for public agencies.