Page 12 - IRANRptAug18

Tehran police find warehouse packed full of hoarded foodstuffs, cosmetics amid economic tensions
Police in Tehran discovered a three-storey warehouse packed with food products and cosmetics in an apparent case of people hoarding against rising prices, Tasnim News Agency reported on July 31.
The tightening US economic campaign against Iran has caused the Iranian rial (IRR) to collapse and produced inflation that according to some academics now stands at more than 200%. Amid the financial strain and uncertainty felt by Iranians, police in the capital have stepped up efforts to counter the smuggling and hoarding of merchandise including imported goods, food items, and precious items like gold sovereign coins.
Police reportedly said they found a warehouse “of basic items that were mainly foodstuffs, which were subdivided across a 3-storey building, and its owner was also found”. Police chief Hossein Rahimi said that at least 46 cases of hoarding had been discovered in the capital in recent days, while authorities had arrested 26 smugglers. According to Rahimi, food and cosmetics were the most frequently discovered items. Confiscations in this category were worth about $4mn.
12 IRAN Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com