People travelling to Qatar with cash or items worth more than QR 50,000 are advised to declare it at the Customs office at the airport, an official from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has stressed.
“If you carry cash or other items which are worth more than QR 50,000, the same may be declared at the Customs Disclosure Office under the General Authority of Customs,” said Capt Abdullah Shaheen Muhammed al-Rumaihi, officer at Airport Security Department.
Capt al-Rumaihi was speaking at a webinar recently organised by MoI to raise awareness on various aspects of safe travel to enhance general awareness among the community as the holiday season has started. Another aspect that Capt al-Rumaihi highlighted during the webinar was the common mistake by passengers in carrying liquid in bottles to the airport.
“Travellers are not allowed to carry along with them liquid in bottles in excess of 100ml. However, they can carry one litre of liquid provided that the capacity of each bottle does not exceed 100ml. They should place all the 100ml bottles in one transparent plastic bag that is easy to open and close,” suggested Capt al-Rumaihi.
The official advised the travellers not make any controversial remarks in jest while checking in the luggage or during the immigration check. “Airlines officials may ask the travellers certain clarifications. The officials could ask the travellers if they possess any prohibited items or explosives. If you answer them jokingly in the affirmative, it can land you in trouble. So when people are at the airline counter at the airport, they should take all the routine questions of the airline staff very seriously and answer them accordingly.”
He said that even if jokingly admitting to such factors can lead to the cancellation of the travel and the person may be taken to the competent authorities. “The security procedures and requirements at the airport are not set to tire out and delay the travelers. They are set in order to ensure the safety and security of them. So people always have to cooperate with the officials and make the right decisions and responses during the entire travel procedure,” Capt al-Rumaihi pointed out.
“We take all necessary measures against violators by referring them to the competent authorities. In implementing our security plan and procedures, we rely on a highly trained staff to deal efficiently with threats and problems,” he stressed.
He also noted that before the travel, it is important to ensure that all the documents and flight reservations are ready. “Passengers should arrange their bags themselves and be fully aware of the contents inside it. Do not carry the belongings and bags of others without the knowledge of its contents because many people may exploit their friends to smuggle prohibited items,” added Capt al-Rumaihi.
