Zurbatiyah border crossing with Iran (Wasit): customs exemptions exceeded, declaration forms sold off the books and declared values altered (from 2020 to 2024)

The Integrity Commission reported a series of cases at the customs centre of the Zurbatiyah crossing in Wasit. On 23 February 2020 it arrested the centre's customs affairs official for letting a company bring in 27,000 tonnes more than its exempt balance without recording them, a loss of more than IQD 2 billion in duties. On 22 February 2023 it arrested three tax unit staff accused of altering the dollar value of goods on the copy of the declaration held by the tax unit and of charging less than the set rates; 1,714 transactions were seized. On 23 June 2023 it said 29,000 more declaration forms had been sold between 1 January 2022 and 28 May 2023 than were recorded, without receipts, a loss of IQD 750 million at IQD 25,000 a form. In August 2023 it seized 768 declarations with manipulated tax and weights. On 27 June 2024 an inspection committee employee was arrested after a truck declared as spare parts was found to carry about 25 tonnes of batteries.