Article 124 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 124 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الأول: التحري عن التهريب
Authorized customs employees may board ships within the customs zone to search them and demand the manifest and documents, and if documents are refused or missing and there is suspicion, seize goods and escort the ship.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لموظفي الإدارة المخولين الحق في الصعود إلى السفن داخل النطاق الجمركي لتفتيشها أو المطالبة بتقديم بيان الحمولة "المنافست" وغيره من المستندات المتوجبة وفق أحكام هذا النظام " القانون " ولهم الحق في حالة الامتناع عن تقديم المستندات أو عدم وجودها والاشتباه بوجود بضائع مهربة أو ممنوعة أن يتخذوا جميع التدابير اللازمة لضبط تلك البضائع ، ومن ثم اقتياد السفينة إلى أقرب دائرة جمركية .
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 124 explained in plain English
This article gives customs employees powers over ships within the customs zone, which, according to the law's definitions, covers at sea the area between the shores and the end of the limits of territorial waters.
The basic powers: the Administration's authorized employees may:
- Board ships within the customs zone to search them.
- Or demand that the cargo statement "manifest" be produced and other documents required by law.
Additional powers and their conditions: they may take all measures necessary to seize the goods, then escort the ship to the nearest customs office, if two things coincide:
- Refusal to produce the documents, or their absence.
- Suspicion that smuggled or prohibited goods are present.
Escorting the ship is therefore not an automatic measure once it is boarded, but requires both conditions to be met. The article does not specify the forms of the necessary measures.
Article 123 deals with ships in ports, giving authorized employees the right to board them, remain on them until their cargo is unloaded and search all their parts. Article 125 allows the Administration to take appropriate measures to investigate smuggling inside and outside the customs office in accordance with rules set by the Minister or the competent authority. Ship owners whose ships were escorted would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and customs cases.
Practical example
A customs boat stopped a vessel within territorial waters and asked its master to produce the manifest, but he did not have it, and there was suspicion that prohibited goods were present. The authorized employees may seize the goods and escort the vessel to the nearest customs office.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 124 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Is customs entitled to search ships at sea?
Yes. The Administration's authorized employees may board ships within the customs zone to search them or demand the manifest and documents.
When may a ship be escorted to customs?
When documents are refused or missing and there is suspicion of smuggled or prohibited goods.
More articles on Customs Officers and Combating Smuggling
- Article 55
The department may open packages where it suspects prohibited goods or a mismatch with the documents, in the absence of an owner who refuses to attend despite being notified, and where necessary before notifying him, through a committee formed by the Director General.
للدائرة الجمركية الحق في فتح الطرود لمعاينتها عند الاشتباه بوجود بضائع ممنوعة أو مخالفة لما هو وارد في الوثائق الجمركية في غياب مالك البضاعة، أو من يمثله، إذا ا
- Article 81
The customs department may inspect free zones and markets for goods prohibited from entering, and audit documents and examine goods when smuggling is suspected.
للدائرة الجمركية القيام بأعمال التفتيش في المناطق والأسواق الحرة عن البضائع الممنوع دخولها إليها ،كما يجوز لها تدقيق المستندات والكشف على البضائع لدى الاشتباه ب
- Article 116
Customs employees are judicial police officers while working, within their jurisdiction, and are given a card to show on request and wear an official uniform if their work requires it.
أ - يعد موظفو الإدارة أثناء قيامهم بأعمالهم من رجال الضبط القضائي ، وذلك في حدود اختصاصاتهم . ب - يعطى موظفو الإدارة عند تعيينهم بطاقة تثبت طبيعة عملهم ، وعليهم
- Article 117
Civil and military authorities and the internal security forces must give customs employees every assistance as soon as they ask, and the Administration must cooperate with other official bodies.
على السلطات المدنية والعسكرية وقوى الأمن الداخلي أن تقدم لموظفي الإدارة كل مساعدة للقيام بعملهم بمجرد طلبهم ذلك ، كما يجب على الإدارة التعاون مع الجهات الرسمية
- Article 118
Customs employees whose work requires it are permitted to carry weapons, and these employees are designated by decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
يسمح بحمل السلاح لموظفي الجمارك الذين تتطلب طبيعة عملهم ذلك ، ويحدد هؤلاء الموظفون بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة .
- Article 119
Every employee of the customs Administration whose service ends for any reason must return what is in his custody to the Administration.
على كل موظف من موظفي الإدارة تنتهي خدماته لأي سبب كان ، أن يعيد ما في عهدته إلى الإدارة .
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.