Erbil officials seize 81 tons of rotten eggs bound for Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Around 90 tons of illegally imported eggs bound for northern Syria were seized by Erbil authorities on Tuesday, according to the mayor of the Kurdistan Region capital. The vast majority of the shipment was found to have expired. 

“According to the findings of the investigations, these eggs were supposed to be sent to Syria but we can say that they were imported illegally,” Nabaz Abdul-Hameed, mayor of Erbil, told Rudaw. 

Erbil security forces (Asayesh) “confiscated” the eggs at a checkpoint as they were being transported into Erbil. The eggs were imported from Iran, but appear to have originated from Turkey.

“They sent them to us and we sent them to Erbil’s veterinary directorate where a specialized committee was formed in order to do necessary tests to see if the eggs are suitable to eat,” the mayor added. 

The production and expiration date on around 81 tons of the egg shipment – worth $145,000 – were found to have been faked.

“In initial physical tests, we found out that 81 tons of these eggs are not suitable for eating. Their dates have been faked and their production dates are unknown,” Mustafa Mohammed, head of Erbil Veterinary Directorate, told Rudaw. 

The eggs were destroyed.



Iran is exporting around 100 tons of eggs each day as a result of oversupply, according to Press TV. Tehran has responded to the glut by easing restrictions on exports in the hope of improving the market price for its farmers.

By Sidad Lashkiri