Nearly nine tons of Iranian apples seized at Kele border. (Photo: Raparin Agriculture Directorate)
Raperin
Nearly nine tons of spoiled apples returned at Kele border crossing
RAPARIN — Customs authorities at the Kele border crossing in Sulaymaniyah’s Raperin Administration confiscated and returned nearly nine tons of spoiled apples imported from Iran, an official told 964media.
Abbas Aziz, head of Raparin Customs, said the region’s agricultural quarantine department inspected the shipment and found a large portion of the fruit was rotten or damaged.
“At the Kele border, they inspected 8,870 kilograms of Iranian apples and decided to return them because a large part was decayed and spoiled,” Aziz said.
He added that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Kele customs office and border security personnel.
The Kele crossing, located in Pshdar district, has served as an unofficial trade route between Iran and the Kurdistan Region since 1992. On the Iranian side, the nearest city is Sardasht, a Kurdish-majority area.
On average, around 250 trucks and 1,000 travelers cross the border daily. In September 2024, authorities closed the main access road for maintenance, forcing truck drivers to reroute through nearby villages.
