Palestinian Customs Police

The Palestinian Customs Police (Arabic: جهاز الضابطة الجمركية, also rendered as the Customs Police apparatus) is one of the official security agencies operating within the State of Palestine. It was established in 1995 by Presidential Decision No. 53 issued by Palestinian National Authority President Yasser Arafat, making it one of the earliest institutions created after the establishment of the Authority. Its core mandate is the enforcement and oversight of Palestinian tax and customs resources — essentially serving as the customs and excise enforcement arm of the Palestinian government. The agency's principal missions include combating customs smuggling and tax evasion, protecting the local Palestinian market from spoiled and counterfeit goods, and combating products originating from Israeli settlements. In practice, this means the Customs Police operates at border crossings, commercial checkpoints, and markets, inspecting goods, seizing contraband, and enforcing Palestinian economic regulations. The force is structured as a uniformed security apparatus with a commander (currently Major General Iyad Barakat, based on official website communications) and various directorates including public relations and media. The Customs Police is part of the broader Palestinian security services framework, which includes agencies such as the Palestinian General Intelligence and Military Intelligence. It operates under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority and is funded through the Palestinian state budget. Its work is closely tied to Palestinian economic policy, including efforts to encourage investment, protect local industry, and secure government revenue streams. On its official website, the agency publishes news reports documenting its activities: cooperation agreements with universities such as the Arab American University and Khadouri University, participation in international training courses on smart customs (including in China), seizures of prohibited Israeli telecommunications SIM cards in Salfit, confiscation of over a ton of unfit fruit in Jenin, and various community engagement activities. The commander's message emphasizes the agency's role as a strategic force for implementing the government's economic policy and protecting investment. The Customs Police remains an active institution as of the latest available information, though its operational capacity is constrained by the broader political and territorial realities facing the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Customs Police was established in 1995 by Presidential Decision No. 53, issued by President Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian National Authority. This founding date places it among the first security and administrative institutions created following the establishment of the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords framework. The agency was created to give the nascent Palestinian government control over customs and tax enforcement — a critical function for building a viable economic administration. From its inception, the Customs Police was conceived as a uniformed security apparatus with a dual mandate: revenue protection and market regulation. Its responsibilities included combating customs smuggling and tax evasion, protecting the local market from spoiled and counterfeit goods, and combating products from Israeli settlements. These missions reflected the political and economic realities of the Palestinian territories, where border control, trade regulation, and economic sovereignty were contested issues. Over the decades, the agency has developed its institutional capacity through training, international cooperation, and community engagement. Its official website documents participation in international courses on smart customs — including a program in China — indicating efforts to modernize its methods and adopt digital customs technologies. The agency has also signed cooperation agreements with Palestinian universities such as the Arab American University and Khadouri University, and maintains a public relations and media department that publishes regular news reports on its activities. The Customs Police operates under the command of a senior officer appointed by the Palestinian leadership. According to the official website, Major General Iyad Barakat serves as commander, and his message emphasizes the agency's role as a strategic force for implementing the government's economic policy, encouraging investment, and protecting the national economy. The agency's day-to-day operations include inspections at commercial crossings, market surveillance, and seizures of prohibited or substandard goods — activities regularly reported on its website, such as the seizure of banned Israeli SIM cards in Salfit and the confiscation of over a ton of unfit fruit in Jenin. As part of the Palestinian security services, the Customs Police coordinates with other agencies and operates within the legal framework established by the Palestinian National Authority. Its history is intertwined with the broader story of Palestinian institution-building, economic policy, and the challenges of governance under occupation and territorial fragmentation.

• 1995

  Palestinian Customs Police established by Presidential Decision No. 53 issued by President Yasser Arafat.

• Customs Police signs cooperation agreement with the Arab American University.

• Customs Police participates in an international course on smart customs in China.

• Customs Police seizes banned Israeli telecommunications SIM cards in Salfit.

• Customs Police seizes more than one ton of unfit fruit in Jenin.

Government customs and tax enforcement agency of the Palestinian National Authority

• Presidential Decision No. 53 of 1995Other

1. 1جهاز الضابطة الجمركية - الرئيسيةpalcp.ps
2. 2Palestinian Customs Police - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3الضابطة الجمركية (فلسطين) - Wikipediaar.wikipedia.org