Article 129 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 129 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الثاني: محضر الضبط
A seizure report is drawn up for customs violations and smuggling offenses in accordance with the procedures set in this law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يُحرر محضر الضبط لمخالفات وجرائم التهريب الجمركي وفق الأصول المحددة في هذا النظام "القانون ".
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 129 explained in plain English
This article begins the provisions on the seizure report, which is the document that records the customs violation or the smuggling offense when it is discovered.
The rule: a seizure report is drawn up for:
- Customs violations.
- Customs smuggling offenses.
The control: it must be drawn up in accordance with the procedures set in this law, and not according to the employee's own discretion. The article does not detail these procedures itself, but refers to what the law provides.
Importance of the report: the report is the basis on which later procedures in the violation or the smuggling offense are built, which is why the law tied it to specified procedures.
Among these procedures is what Article 130 provides, which requires the seizure report to be drawn up by at least two employees of customs when the violation or smuggling offense is discovered, and permits one employee to draw it up where necessary.
Article 128 permits the Administration's employees to detain anyone suspected of committing smuggling or of transporting or possessing smuggled goods. Anyone against whom a seizure report was drawn up would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and customs cases to review whether the report complied with the legal procedures.
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 129 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
When is a customs seizure report drawn up?
It is drawn up for customs violations and customs smuggling offenses.
How is a seizure report drawn up?
In accordance with the procedures set in the law, including that at least two employees draw it up when the violation is discovered under Article 130.
More articles on Seizure Report and Customs Detention
- Article 126
Smuggling may be investigated and goods seized across the state in the land and maritime zones, customs offices, ports and airports, and outside the zones in continuous pursuit.
يجوز إجراء التحري عن التهريب وحجز البضائع وتحقيق المخالفات الجمركية بشأن جميع البضائع على امتداد أراضي الدولة في الحالات التالية: 1 - في النطاقين الجمركيين البر
- Article 128
Customs employees may detain anyone they suspect of committing, attempting or being connected with smuggling, or transporting or possessing smuggled goods.
يجوز لموظفي الإدارة التحفظ على أي شخص إذا كان لديهم اشتباه بأنه ارتكب أو حاول ارتكاب جريمة أو كان ذا علاقة بارتكاب جريمة من الجرائم التالية: 1 - التهريب. 2 - نق
- Article 130
A seizure report is drawn up by at least two customs employees when the violation or smuggling offense is discovered, and one employee may draw it up where necessary.
ينظم محضر الضبط موظفان على الأقل من الجمارك حال اكتشاف المخالفة أو جريمة التهريب ، ويجوز عند الضرورة أن ينظم محضر الضبط موظف واحد .
- Article 131
The article lists ten items that must be stated in the seizure report, including the place, date, hour, names of the officers, violators, goods, facts, statements, reading of the report and handover.
يذكر في محضر الضبط ما يلي : 1 - مكان تنظيمه وتاريخه وساعته بالأحرف والأرقام . 2 - أسماء ضابطي الواقعة ومنظمي محضر الضبط وتوقيعهم وطبيعة أعمالهم . 3 - أسماء المخ
- Article 132
A seizure report drawn up under Articles 130 and 131 is evidence of the material facts its drafters personally observed unless the contrary is proven, and a formal deficiency does not invalidate it.
أ - يعد محضر الضبط المنظم وفق المادتين 130 - 131 من هذا النظام " القانون" حجة فيما يتعلق بالوقائع المادية التي عاينها منظموه بأنفسهم ما لم يثبت العكس . ب - لا ي
- Article 133
The customs office may seize the goods subject to the violation or smuggling, the things used to conceal them and means of transport, except ships, aircraft and public buses unless specially prepared for smuggling.
للدائرة الجمركية حجز البضائع موضوع المخالفة أو جرم التهريب والأشياء التي استعملت لإخفائها، وكذلك وسائط النقل من أي نوع كانت؛ كالقوارب والسيارات والحيوانات، عدا
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.

