“50 to 70 kilograms of gold is imported daily through the airports,” Iraqi planning ministry spokesperson Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi told Rudaw.
The imported gold arrives through Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, and Kirkuk airports, according to Hindawi.
While the amount of gold imported does not include the Kurdistan Region, Hindawi said that the ministry has expressed its readiness to coordinate with authorities in the Region to organize the process and obtain accurate numbers.
Gold is also imported through Erbil and Sulaimani airports, both of which have a center for inspecting gold and expensive jewels.
Government regulations in Iraq only permit gold to be imported through the airports.
In late December, a gold inspection center was opened in Kirkuk airport, which authorized the import of gold.
Sheikh Mustafa Abdulrahman, president of the Kurdistan Region’s Importers and Exporters Union, told Rudaw in December 2023 that the Kurdistan Region has become the center of gold trade in the region.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
