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Coll 17/18(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎36r] (71/889)

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The record is made up of 1 file (443 folios). It was created in 15 Jun 1935-14 May 1942. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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(390/18/40).
Dear Bureau,
P.Z.
6106
I940 i
3eptember,
1940*
With reference to our letter No* 390/13/^° of
June 13th regarding gold smuggling, we enclose details of
further shipments of gold carried from Bahrain' to Bagdad
hy British Overseas Airways. You will see that though the
movement was still considerable in June and July it^fell
away in August and is now limited to spasmodic shipments*
9* We also enclose conies of letters received from
the Ottoman Bank regarding the efforts they have made to
check the sale of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. on India, which might he used to
purchase gold* They can, however, hardly he exoected to
maintain an attitude which is prejudicing their own
hanking business and assisting competitors who do not
have similar scruples. The Eastern' Bank is, we understand,
co-operating with the Ottoman Bank in refusing to arrange
for the purchase of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. not intended for genuine
commercial transactions. The Imperial Bank of Iran, on the
other hand, continues apparently to accept such
transactions without question*
3. In the last paragraph of the Ottoman Bank’s
letter dated 24th August the suggestion is made that the
traffic in gold smuggled from India might he effectively
checked if the competent Indian authorities prohibited the
opening of rupee credits in India by the sale of
sterling from Iraq except through the three British hanks
established here (orovided, of course, the three hanks
were instructed by their Head Offices to adopt the same
policy as regards the verification of the purpose of any
credits which they were asked by their clients to ooen
in India). We submit this suggestion for what it is
v/orth and should be grateful if we could receive your
comments as soon as possible as it seems unfair that two
British banks should continue to be unduly penalised by
the spontaneous action they have taken in the public
interest.
4* The price of sovereigns in Bagdad n«w stands at
Intelligence Bureau,
Home Department,
Government of India,
Simla*
about/

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Content

This file is a continuation of IOR/L/PS/12/2878, and contains papers regarding the alleged smuggling of goods from Kuwait to Iraq, and attempts to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and the Government of Iraq with regards to the prevention of smuggling and the establishment of effective frontier controls. It consists of correspondence between the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait, and HM High Commissioner (and later Ambassador) at Baghdad, as well as communications received from Al Sabah and representatives of the Government of Iraq.

The bulk of the correspondence concerns efforts by HM Ambassador at Iraq, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait, to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the two parties. This included discussion of Iraqi proposals to assume control of Kuwaiti customs, to instigate joint border-controls and a manifest system for goods transported by land or sea, or to impose Kuwaiti tariffs on imports at the same rate as Iraqi tariffs. Later correspondence discusses the negotiation of an anti-smuggling agreement between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and a proposed customs union between Kuwait and Iraq. The correspondence makes reference to on-going negotiations over the Kuwait-Iraq border, and the Iraqi date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait.

There is a small quantity of correspondence from 1941 between the Government of Iraq, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the Ottoman Bank at Baghdad, regarding currency smuggling, money laundering, and the purchase of Indian rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .

The file includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 2-3).

Extent and format
1 file (443 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 444; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-444; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 17/18(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎36r] (71/889), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2879, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100064979936.0x00004a> [accessed 7 May 2024]

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