Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH – Selling aluminum phosphide, a cheap and commonly used pesticide that can prove deadly if inhaled, is not a mere violation but a major crime because the deadly chemical can cause death to many, said Abdullah Al-Alyan, director of the Ministry of Labor's Riyadh branch. “The fines imposed on violators are not commensurate with the huge profits they make from selling this venomous compound. If the fines are not enough of a deterrent, violators will repeat the violation thinking that they can get away with paying a small fine,” Al-Alyan told Al-Eqtisadiah daily. For his part, Jaber Al-Shehri, Ministry of Agriculture spokesman, said the ministry is the only authority in charge of giving permission for importing aluminum phosphide to the Kingdom. The permission is granted on the basis that the compound will be used for agricultural purposes, not in households. “Only certain importers are allowed to bring this compound into the Kingdom and the ministry knows them by name,” Al-Shehri said. Importers are responsible for using the compound in the safes way, he added. Only technicians are allowed to use the compound because they are aware of its dangers. It is illegal to sell it in the market. “Our recent inspection visits have revealed that there's only one importer who is responsible for selling aluminum phosphide to different outlets. We've fined him SR150,000 and revoked his license. He's no longer in business,” he said. The ministry restricted the use of this dangerous compound to large warehouses that are infested with insects and mice. The compound is only used when there are no humans in the warehouse. “This product shouldn't be used in homes to kill insects and mice because it's lethal to humans,” said Al-Shehri. The ministry has given import licenses to a few businesses and requires importers to have technicians and stick labels in Arabic and English on the products, explaining how they should be used and what their dangers are. Sami Al-Ghamdi, public relations officer, Jeddah Municipality, said the municipality's inspectors' role is to carry out inspection visits of stores and businesses and make sure they have licenses to sell the product. If a shop does not have a license, it will be shut down immediately. In his last meeting with pertinent authorities, Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed urged authorities to join forces and work on protecting and safeguarding the lives of citizens and expatriates against the illegal selling of this chemical compound. Businesses that deal with insect fumigation have been urged not to sell this product without a license and hand over their inventories to authorities. Citizens and expatriates have also been urged to report violators and shops that sell the product. Recently, one shop in Riyadh and three in Jeddah were shut down for selling aluminum phosphide without the necessary licenses.
