Article 138 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 138 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الثالث: تدابير احتياطية
The Director General or his delegate may ask the competent authorities to ban violators or smuggling suspects from leaving the country if the seized materials do not cover duties and fines; the ban is lifted on a guarantee or proof of sufficiency.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للمدير العام أو من يفوضه أن يطلب من السلطات المختصة منع المخالفين أو المتهمين بالتهريب من مغادرة البلاد في حالة عدم كفاية قيمة المواد المضبوطة لتغطية الضرائب والرسوم والغرامات .
ويلغى قرار المنع إذا قدم المخالف أو المتهم بالتهريب كفالة تعادل المبالغ التي قد يطالب بها ، أو إذا تبين فيما بعد أن قيمة المواد المضبوطة كافية لتغطية المبالغ المطالب بها .
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 138 explained in plain English
This article regulates banning violators and smuggling suspects from leaving the country.
Conditions for requesting the ban:
- Who requests it: the Director General or his delegate.
- From whom: the competent authorities, as the Director General does not impose the ban himself.
- Against whom: violators or those accused of smuggling.
- When: where the value of the seized materials is not sufficient to cover duties and fines.
Cases in which the ban decision is cancelled:
- If the violator or the accused provides a guarantee equal to the amounts that may be claimed from him.
- Or if it later becomes clear that the value of the seized materials is sufficient to cover the amounts claimed.
What this means: the travel ban here is a means of securing financial dues, not a penalty. It is therefore tied, in existence and absence, to the sufficiency of security: if the seized goods are sufficient there is no justification for it, and if an equivalent guarantee is provided, it must be cancelled according to the text.
Article 137 limits arrest to smuggling caught in the act and resistance to customs or security officers, and requires the arrested person to be brought before the court within 24 hours. Article 139 provides that fines collected and confiscations are treated as civil compensation to the administration and are not covered by a general amnesty. A person banned from traveling because of a customs case would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and customs cases to arrange the guarantee or show that the seized goods are sufficient.
Practical example
A businessman is accused of smuggling, and the seized goods are worth less than the expected duties and fines, so a request is made to ban him from traveling. If he provides a guarantee equal to the amounts that may be claimed from him, the ban decision is cancelled.
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 138 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Can I be banned from traveling because of a customs case?
The Director General or his delegate may request it from the competent authorities if the value of the seized materials is not enough to cover duties and fines.
How is a travel ban lifted in customs cases?
By providing a guarantee equal to the amounts that may be claimed, or if it becomes clear that the value of the seized materials is sufficient.
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 129
A seizure report is drawn up for customs violations and smuggling offenses in accordance with the procedures set in this law.
يُحرر محضر الضبط لمخالفات وجرائم التهريب الجمركي وفق الأصول المحددة في هذا النظام "القانون ".
- 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
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.