Customs look at toy planes with suspicion

Saudi and Gulf customs authorities have imposed strict security procedures on children’s toys, especially toy planes with cameras.
Saudi Customs confirmed that there are controls in place but this hasn’t prevented their import, and if a permit is obtained from relevant bodies the ban will be lifted.
A source said restricting the entry of these toys is linked to their use in filming military locations, which means there has to be a permit from the Ministry of Interior or they are going to be re-exported to prevent their misuse.
A source at Bahraini customs said recently inspections have been stricter because of the current situation. He continued that these are precautionary measures, but nothing has been seized lately.
Passengers coming from Gulf States into Saudi Arabia have been subjected to strict inspection procedures especially if they have metal pieces with them. Metal toys and cameras are impounded for three days until they are tested.
Eisa Al-Mihali, said inspections haven’t changed that much but customs are confiscating metal toys and cameras for a short period of time, which means passengers have to return to claim their belongings.
He added that on his way from Dubai, a children’s toy plane was confiscated for four days, and he went back and reclaimed it. He said toy planes that are capable of flying over certain heights are confiscated for fear of taking pictures of military locations.
Ali Al-Ali, coming from China to Dammam through Bahrain, said Bahraini customs stopped him because of a toy plane, while before none of these procedures took place.
Ibrahim Al-Eqaili, a researcher of security affairs, supported the decision saying control on war toys is natural in these circumstances. This procedure is to neutralize threats from the so-called Islamic State to disrupt security in the Kingdom and other Gulf States.
He pointed out that change in inspection methods is better, because earlier passengers were made to wait for an hour or two while customs checked the toy and verified its safety, but now the toys are taken in custody for a few days so extensive checks could be made to make sure they are safe.