Article 13 of the Saudi Precious Metals and Gemstones Law

This article regulates field oversight of the precious metals and gemstones sector.

Paragraph 1 - who detects violations: employees named by a decision of the Minister of Commerce in agreement with the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, who work together or individually to detect violations of the Law and the regulations, and to investigate and prove them. The regulations set out how they work.

Paragraph 2 - their powers and duties:

• The right to enter and inspect factories, workshops, shops, warehouses and all places where the items subject to the Law are made or displayed.
• The right to take samples of the materials and items found there to examine and analyze them if necessary.
• The duty to draw up a seizure report on the incident, recording the details of the establishment, the samples, and the materials and items taken from it.

All of this is as the regulations specify.

The article in its present text was issued by Royal Decree No. M/87 dated 3/4/1446 AH, and the amendment takes effect from 8/4/1447 AH.

Among the violations these employees may detect are those provided for in Article 14, such as fraud in the type, weight or karat of precious metals, and selling articles not stamped with the legal hallmark, the penalty for which is imprisonment for not more than two years and a fine of not more than SAR 400,000, or either. Anyone against whom a violation has been recorded may consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.