Module 5. Customs enforcement and compliance

Unit 5.1 Customs Violations

In this Unit, you will learn about: - types of Customs offences and corresponding punishments - law enforcement activities of the Customs agencies Grammar: Participles I-II Revision: Modal verbs

Exercise 1. Read Text 1 to match left and right:

 

1) precautionary measures	a) конфискация товаров
2) possible penalties	b) в определенных обстоятельствах
3) fraudulent intent	c) в течение определенного периода (времени)
4) legal provisions	d) возможные наказания
5) breach of the Customs regulations	e) предполагаемое нарушение
6) within a specified time limit	f) меры предосторожности
7) seizure of the goods	g) умышленное намерение
8) confiscation of the means of transport	h) нарушение таможенных правил
9) in certain circumstances	i) положения закона
10) alleged offence	j) конфискация транспортного средства

Exercise 2. Match the words from the text to their correct definition.

 

1) conveyance	a) the act of losing something as a punishment
2) fraudulent	b) to give or grant some right, title, etc.
3) forfeiture	c) given as a fact without proof
4) inadvertent	d) based on criminal deception
5) confer	e) to act against (a law)
6) statutory	f) transportation, carrying
7) alleged	g) done thoughtlessly, not on purpose
8) contravene	h) fixed, required by

Exercise 3. Give synonyms to the following words:

breach –

seizure –

to prohibit –

authorities –

regulations –

conveyance –

to be liable to –

in accordance with –

to be empowered –

means of transport –

Exercise 4. Use your knowledge to answer the following questions:

1) What Customs violations do you know?

2) Which of the Customs offences mentioned do you consider

- most frequent?

- most dangerous?

- most serious?

- most harmless?

Exercise 5. As you read Text 1 focus on different types of Customs offences.

Text 1

Customs Offences

    One of the tasks of the Customs authorities is to investigate and establish any breach of the current Customs regulations. Only Customs offences which are regarded as relatively serious are brought before the administrative tribunals or courts of law.

    When a Customs offence has been established, the Customs authorities are empowered, in certain circumstances, to take the necessary precautionary measures and to seize or detain the goods and means of transport.

    The penalties applied vary according to the seriousness or the importance of the offences. Depending on the seriousness of the Customs offence, the Customs authorities may be empowered to require security, to seize or detain the goods and means of transport, or to detain the persons concerned and hand them over to other competent authorities.

    After discovering a Customs offence the Customs authorities will inform the person concerned of the nature of the alleged offence and possible penalties.

    The penalties are fines, seizure of the goods and, where appropriate, confiscation of the means of transport.

    In cases where penalties are applied, the following Customs offences are punishable only by a small fine provided that there is no question of fraudulent intent:

- failure to present goods within a specified time limit;

- failure to follow itinerary prescribed for the conveyance of goods under Customs control;

- failure to produce documents or information within a specified time limit.

    The fines are normally based on the amount of the duties and taxes and not on the value of the goods.

Exercise 6. Comprehension questions.

1. What isone of the tasks of the Customs authorities?

2. What are the Customs authorities empowered to do when a Customs offence has been established?

3. What do the penalties applied depend on?

4. Whatare the possiblepenalties?

5. What Customs offences are punishable only by a small fine?

6. What are the fines normally based on?

Exercise 7. Give the English equivalents to the following:

сотрудники таможенных органов; в соответствии с положениями; задержать и конфисковать товары; таможенные власти; компетентные органы; обеспечивать безопасность; административные органы; умышленное намерение; предъявлять документы; штрафы; основываться на чем-либо; налоги и пошлины.

Exercise 8. Rewrite the sentences below translating the Russian parts into English.

1. One of the задачи of the Customs authorities is to investigate and установить любое нарушение of the current таможенные правила.

2. The наказания applied vary according to the серьезность or the importance of the нарушения.

3. The fines are normally based on the сумма таможенных пошлин и сборов and not on the стоимость of the товары.

4. When таможенное нарушение has been established, the таможенные власти are empowered, in certain circumstances, to принять необходимые предупредительные меры and to конфисковать or detain the товары and транспортное средство.

5. Only Customs offences which are regarded as относительно серьезные are brought before the административные органы or courts of law.

6. The возможные санкции are штрафы, задержание of the goods and, where appropriate, конфискация of the means of transport.

7. If there is no question of умышленное намерение Customs offences are punishable only by a небольшой штраф.

Exercise 9. Sort out the following words into groups:

 

OFFENCES	PENALTIES

 

to smuggle; to detain goods; to impose a fine; to seize goods; to hand the offenders to competent authorities; to bring before a tribunal; to evade duties and taxes; breach of the provisions; fraud; to be subject to the administrative penalty; to detain goods; money laundering; failure to produce information about amount of the goods; to be liable to a small fine; to detain means of transport; to bring to court; to import goods without a visa.

Exercise 10. Read Text 2 to speak on common Customs violations.

Text 2

Customs Violations

    Certain items must be declared on a Customs form when entering the United States. Sometimes mistakes or omissions by individuals on their declaration forms are due to lack of understanding. In some cases, if a penalty is imposed for failure to declare, it is often a small fine.

Common Customs violations include:

Ø failure to declare money upon leaving or entering the country;

Ø attempting to bring plants, foodstuffs or exotic species, or endangered fish, birds, or other wildlife into the United States;

Ø attempting to import contraband items such as illegal drugs into the United States;

Ø attempting to bring pharmaceuticals into or out of the country without declaring them or without having a valid prescription;

Ø importing goods into the country without the proper quota or visa.

Exercise 11. Scan the textabove togive the English equivalents to the following:

из-за недопонимания; упущение (пропуск чего-либо); налагать штраф; определенные предметы; пищевые продукты; ввозить фармацевтическую продукцию; животные и растения, находящиеся под угрозой уничтожения; действительное (на определенный срок) предписание; надлежащая квота.

Exercise 12. Read Text 3 for general understanding.

Text 3

Counterfeiting

Counterfeit goods are often smuggled into Russia. They are fakes of popular brands of perfume, CDs and medicines. To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. The spread of counterfeit goods (commonly called “ knockoffs ” – сущ. разг. подделка, липа, дешёвка) has become global in recent years and the range of goods subject to infringement has increased significantly.

Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. The word counterfeit frequently describes both the forgeries of currency and documents, as well as the imitations of works of art, toys, clothing, software, pharmaceuticals, watches, electronics; company logos and brands. In the case of goods, it results in patent infringement or trademark infringement.

Additionally, it is fairly common in big cities for would-be criminals to sell counterfeit illegal drugs, such as a bag of pure baking soda sold as cocaine or heroin, or a bag of oregano sold as marijuana. This takes advantage of the extremely high prices of illicit drugs and the relatively low prices of common materials such as baking soda and oregano, as well as taking advantage of the similarity in appearances that certain house-hold items share with certain illicit drugs.

Many firms, among them drug makers and food processors, are reluctant to admit publicly that they have a problem with counterfeiting, in part for fear of alarming consumers and undermining their market share. But the battle against counterfeits is, in some ways, rather like the war on drugs: closing down the factories and taking out the dealers will have little effect so long as demand stays high.

Copyright piracy is a social problem. It cannot be solved by enforcement actions directed against the suppliers of pirated goods alone. As long as there are demands for pirated goods, pirates could still find niches to survive.

This in fact is the principle on which genuine and counterfeit perfumery and cosmetic products sit side by side on the shelves of Russian shops. But whereas a person going to an outdoor market to buy shampoo or body lotion knows that he is taking a risk, patrons of large chain stores believe that product quality is guaranteed.

The increase in world trade has generated an unprecedented surge in industrial counterfeiting. Despite increasingly sophisticated control techniques, and greater awareness and commitment on the part of politicians at the international level, counterfeiting and piracy now form an integral part of the world of consumers.

Today, counterfeit goods will cross several borders, or even several continents, passing from port to port and from airport to airport, changing ships or changing planes, using free zones and sometimes even switching transport documents or containers.

Exercise 13. Explain how you understand the meaning of following words:

- infringement;

- piracy;

- forgeries;

- counterfeiting.

Exercise 14. Give the English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

проблемы контрафактной и фальсифицированной продукции в России; характерные признаки подделок; бренды парфюмерии; контрафактная продукция; меры пресечения; закон против контрафакта; беспрецедентный всплеск (размах); без согласия законного владельца; уклоняться от уплаты внутренних налогов; схема отмывания денег; имитация; подделка; дешевые низкопробные подделки; искать убежище (нишу) для выживания; действия правоохранительных органов; объем контрафактной продукции; кухонные комбайны; барьер на пути распространения поддельных товаров; бизнес на контрафакте; частный и государственный сектор; рынок «на открытом воздухе»; противодействовать пиратству; распространители дешёвых подделок.

Exercise 15. Comprehension questions.

1. What does counterfeit mean?

2. How do counterfeits range?

3. Do many countries suffer from counterfeits? Do they incline to admit this problem?

4. How can the problem of copyright piracy be solved?

5. What losses does Russia suffer from counterfeiting?

6. What products are vulnerable to counterfeiting in Russia?

7. What are the methods of fighting counterfeiting?

8. Is the Russian government concerned about the increase in counterfeiting?

9. How to stem the tide of counterfeit and pirated goods which is washing over the borders?

Exercise 16. Interpret the following:

    Customs investigates the illegitimate movement of prohibited or restricted goods such as precursor drugs, weapons, performance and image enhancing drugs, child pornography and flora and fauna to and from the country.

Exercise 17. Choose one of the points below to make a short talk on:

The necessary precautionary measures taken by the Customs authorities against Customs offences;

ü factors which account for dramatic rise in the counterfeiting of consumer products;

ü the detrimental effects of counterfeiting on society.

Exercise 18. Summarize the main points of Texts 1-3 making use of the language box below:

Summing (it) up... To sum up, I’d like... The text gives/ covers… The main points briefly present… And finally...

 

Exercise 19. As a class, role play the panel discussion on counterfeiting.

 Hints:

Use the following structure of panel discussion: Opening: - Welcome to the panel discussion. - Thank you for joining us today. - It’s great to have you join us today. Identifying the subject of the discussion: - Today on our show we will look into the problem of… Introducing the guests of the show: - Today we have with us… (in our studio/on our panel..) - Thank you all for coming today (being here, joining the discussion). Discussion Closing: - Our time is up… - The next subject will be… - Thank you for coming - That’s all, good bye.

Exercise 20. Translate the sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the verbs in italics.

1. The vessel’s crew must perform regular security checks and shipboard inspections throughout the duration of the port call.

2. All points of entry aboard the vessel must be locked.

3. The vessel must maintain a good lookout for approaching small boats.

4. Tobacco product packages intended for export are to be clearly labeled for export.

5. What is most important in counter-terrorism measures is to prevent occurrence of an attack.

Exercise 21. Translate into English.

1. Если вес вашего багажа превышает норму, вам придется заплатить пошлину.

2. Вам не надо указывать данные вещи в декларации.

3. Как называется журнал, который вы просматриваете?

4. Досмотр багажа обычно занимает немного времени.

5. Этот человек очень хорошо говорит по-английски, но мне трудно понимать его, так как он говорит очень быстро.

6. Позвони на вокзал, пожалуйста, и узнай, когда приходит поезд из Ростова.

7. Ваша ручная кладь может быть досмотрена на сканирующем устройстве.

Exercise 22. Make one sentence from two using an -ing clause.

1. Jim was playing tennis. He hurt his arm. – Jim hurt his arm playing tennis.

2. I was watching television. I fell asleep. I ____________.

3. The man slipped. He was getting off a bus. The man ___________.

4. I was walking home in the rain. I got wet. I __________.

5. Margaret was driving to work yesterday. She had an accident. __________.

6. Two firemen were overcome by smoke. They were trying to put out the fire. __________.

Exercise 23. Make sentences beginning Having.... (Participle II).

1. She finished her work. Then she went home. – Having finished her work, she went home.

2. We bought our tickets. Then we went into the theatre. __________.

3. They continued their journey after they’d had dinner. __________.

4. After Lucy had done all her shopping, she went for a cup of coffee. ___________.

5. They arrived at the airport. Then they proceeded to the check-in desk. ___________.

Exercise 24. Make sentences beginning -ing or not -ing. Sometimes you need to begin with Having (done something) (Participles I-II).

1. I felt tired. So I went to bed early. – Feeling tired I went to bed early.

2. I thought they might be hungry. So I offered them something to eat. __________.

3. She is a foreigner. So she needs a visa to stay in this country. ___________.

4. I didn’t know his address. So I wasn’t able to contact him. ___________.

5. Julia has travelled a lot. So she knows a lot about other countries. __________.

6. The man wasn’t able to understand English. So he didn’t know what I wanted. _________.

7. We had spent nearly all our money. So we couldn’t afford to stay in a hotel. __________.

8. He is unemployed. So he hasn’t got much money. __________.

9. She doesn’t have a car. So she finds it difficult to get around. _________.

10. As I had already seen the film twice, I didn’t want to go to the cinema. __________.

Exercise 25. Translate into Russian. Pay attention to grammar constructions (-ing forms) in bold.

1. All the incoming and outgoing passengers must pass through the Customs control.

2. Do you have any items above the fixed quota?

3. Have you got any items in this suitcase prohibited from taking out of the country?

4. Having lost the key, I couldn’t open my suitcase.

5. Working on this project, we found out a lot of interesting things.

6. Having completed the preparation, he took a short break.

7. Given the inflation rate does not exceed 2% per month, the GDP growth could be considered realistic.

8. Unless otherwise specified, the time of departure is always the same.

9. Everybody is innocent until proven guilty.

10. We completed our inspection, with the accompanying documents being checked twice.

11. There being too many applicants, the interviews were split into two days.

12. Weather permitting,the expedition will start tomorrow.

13. The room being too small,we moved into a larger one.

14. The work done,we were paid right away.

15. On November a detector dog was used in a check of passengers arriving on Air France.

16. Filling in the declaration, the passenger forgot to declare a picture bought in Moscow.

17. The person in charge of a means of conveyance cannot depart from the Customs zone without receiving an outward clearance.

18. Having examined the cargo, the Customs officer asked the captain several questions.

19. The documentary check having been finished, the officer-in-charge gave a permit to unloading.

20. Having been shown the wrong direction, the tourists lost their way soon.

21. Some of the questions put to the lecturer yesterday were very important.

22. Examining their baggage, he noticed some undeclared items.

 

GLOSSARY

breach enforcement failure fake awareness bulky commitment forgery fraudulent genuine infringement intent lack niche publicly reluctant unprecedented sophisticated spread supplier surge tide to empower to enhance to impose to stem

нарушение, разрыв соблюдение правопорядка, закона неудача, провал поддельный, фальшивый осведомленность, осознание большой, громоздкий совершение, обязанность, долг подделка, подлог обманный, жульнический истинный, подлинный нарушение, посягательство намерение, умысел недостаток, нужда ниша, убежище публично, открыто неохотный, вынужденный беспрецедентный, беспримерный утонченный, изысканный, изощренный распространение, размах поставщик быстрый рост, скачок, всплеск, повышение поток, течение, приток уполномочивать, поручать увеличивать, усиливать облагать, налагать приостанавливать, преграждать, препятствовать

 

Unit 5. 2 Commercial fraud

In this Unit, you learn about: - types of commercial fraud - fighting counterfeiting - money laundering and terrorism financing - Customs enforcement measures Grammar: -ing forms. Participles I-II

 

 

Exercise 1. Find the terms (in the text) which mean the following:

- a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done;

- the crime of getting money by deceiving people;

- the act of avoiding something or someone;

- the income that a government or company receives regularly;

- someone who has committed a crime or a violent or harmful act;

- the fact of noticing or discovering something;

- the internet considered as an imaginary area without limits where you can meet people and discover information about any subject.

Exercise 2. Look through the text and find the words synonymous to:

force, bring face to face with, interdiction, assistance, control, defend against, lawful, struggle against, business, caution, novelty, lawless, benefit, knowledge.

Exercise 3. Find in the text the words which follow the verbs below:

to clear, linked to, to legitimate, to be confronted by, to take, to affect, to avoid, to deal with, to prevent, to detect, to prepare, to implement, to enhance, to fight.

Exercise 4. Which words from column A go with the words from column B?

 

A	B
1. multi-mode 2. law enforcement 3. illegal 4. drug 5. commercial 6. criminal 7. high-speed 8. money laundering 9. strategic 10. crime 11. technological 12. driving	a) approach b) innovation c) groups d) force e) scheme f) agencies g) entrants h) smuggling i) fraud j) programs k) computing systems l) transportation system m) activity

 

Exercise 4. Match left and right.

 

1) to keep abreast of change	a) методы «раннего предупреждения»
2) evasion of import duties	b) несанкционированное получение погашения
3) illegal capital outflows	c) стратегический многогранный подход
4) commercial fraud perpetrators	d) уклонение от уплаты пошлин на ввоз
5) unauthorized receipt of repayment	e) быть в курсе перемен (изменений)
6) ‘early warning’ methods	f) преступники в сфере коммерческого мошенничества
7) strategic multi-faceted approach	g) незаконный отток капитала

Exercise 5. As you read the text, focus on different types of commercial fraud.

Text 1

Commercial Fraud

All Customs administrations and law enforcement agencies are coming under increasing pressure to keep abreast of change: to clear goods and people more effectively and efficiently while protecting society from the “nasties” (e.g. drugs, diseases, terrorists, illegal entrants, commercial and electronic crimes, money laundering, etc.). They are confronted today by individuals and organized crime groups that are international in scope. It is suspected that more aspects of Customs commercial fraud, in particular over valuation, have been linked to the money laundering scheme.

The main driving force behind crime is profit. Illegal capital outflows could provide criminal groups with funds for other criminal acts such as arms and drug smuggling.

The evasion of import duties on goods imported into any country is financially damaging to legitimate industry and the taxpayer.

The WCO said that the revenue implication of commercial fraud for members around the world is huge. Information from different sources indicates that countries lose hundreds of million dollars in revenue as a result of commercial fraud. Customs commercial fraud perpetrators are taking advantage of every opportunity presented in the multi-mode transportation system and trade patterns to execute a variety of schemes.

That’s why Customs administrations must be aware of various kinds of money laundering methods, techniques and trends, such as evasion and of the duty tax payment, evasion of prohibition, restriction or requirement for import and / or export, unauthorized receipt of repayment and gaining illicit commercial advantage.

Customs administrations have an essential role to play in anti-money laundering activities because of their presence at borders, their legal powers, their trade knowledge, and their experience. They are becoming increasingly reliant on complex, high-speed computing systems.

But they understand that these same driving forces also affect criminal enterprises. Technological innovation is also facilitating criminal activity by creating new ways for illegal business, extra geographical reach, and greater flexibility to avoid detection.

That’s why Customs administrations attempt to deal with complicated offences committed in cyberspace. In order to effectively prevent and detect commercial fraud, Customs use a strategic multi-faceted approach, including international cooperation. They use a strategic ‘early warning’ methods which enable Customs officers to both prepare for this new on-line world and to implement effective risk management strategies.

The WCO has actively championed anti-money laundering programs and has enhanced its Members’ ability to fight money laundering by developing training programs, legal instruments, and advocating best practices.

Exercise 6. Which of the following sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)? Support your reply.

1. One of the consequences of commercial fraud is injury to the industry.

2. There are many different kinds of commercial fraud.

3. The term ‘commercial fraud’ covers a wide range of activities that may give rise to various causes of action.

4. The best way to combat economic crime is through prevention.

5. Fraud committed over communication media, namely, Internet is an enormous global problem.

Exercise 7. Answer the questions using the information above:

1. What does commercial fraud mean?

2. Why is commercial fraud committed?

3. What are the consequences of commercial fraud?

4. What do Customs do to stop fraud?

5. Why is the fight against fraud a challenge for Customs?

6. What are the Customs confronted by?

7. What is cyber fraud?

Exercise 8. Summarize the information of Text 1 to be ready to speak on types of commercial fraud. Use the following prompts as a plan.

1. Definition of the term ‘commercial fraud’.

2. Indicators of commercial fraud.

3. Fraud damages.

4. Customs administrations and anti-money laundering activities.

5. Online fraud protection.

Exercise 9. Skim Text 2 to answer the following questions:

1. What is a counterfeit?

2. How are counterfeits classified?

3. What losses do legitimate businesses suffer because of competition from counterfeiting?

4. What goods are usually counterfeited?

5. How much do governments lose because of counterfeiting?

6. Why are customers relatively unconcerned about counterfeiting?

7. How much pharmaceuticals may be counterfeit?

8. What does trade in reconditioned aircraft components mean?

9. What measures do law enforcement bodies take to combat counterfeits?

Exercise 10. Read Text 2 to find the English equivalents for:

по строгому определению; с целью умышленного введения в заблуждение и мошенничества; преступление без жертв; законный бизнес; фальшивомонетчик; подделки; фармацевтические препараты; доступ к товарам по более низкой цене; вредные вещества; поддельные этикетки; иностранные инвестиции; долгосрочная угроза; меры по борьбе с контрафактной продукцией; держатель марки; перевешивать выгоды; поддельные запасные части для автомобиля; срок годности; позволять.

Text 2

Counterfeiting

A counterfeit, on a strict definition, is something that is forged, copied or imitated without the perpetrator having the right to do it, and with the purpose of deceiving or defrauding. Such rights are legally enshrined in patents (linked with inventions), copyright (which covers literary, musical and artistic works, and software), trademarks (which include words, pictures and symbols), industrial designs and other forms of intellectual-property protection.

Counterfeits come in many shapes and sizes. They range from the cheap look-alike Rolex, bought knowingly by a happy customer, to the counterfeit, sub-standard brakes on an unsuspecting driver’s car.

Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. For a start, legitimate businesses lose sales because of competition from counterfeiters. Counterfeiting of clothing, cosmetics, toys, sports equipment and pharmaceuticals within the European Union cost the region 17,120 jobs, and reduced GDP by?8 billion ($7.4 billion) a year. As counterfeiters rarely pay duties or taxes, governments lose further revenue. And countries with endemic counterfeiting may sacrifice foreign investment too.

Big business is keen that consumers should feel as strongly about counterfeiting as it does. But most customers, in the developed world at any rate, are relatively unconcerned. Some argue that counterfeiting benefits consumers, particularly in developing countries, by giving them access to lower-price goods, such as software, that they might not otherwise be able to afford. And they claim that counterfeits occasionally push brand holders into innovating in their customers’ interests.

Nevertheless, the costs of counterfeiting far outweigh the benefits. The World Health Organisation reckons that 5-7% of pharmaceutical worldwide may be counterfeit with too few active ingredients, too many contaminants, fake labels or recycled packaging that covers up expiry dates. This problem is most acute in developing countries.

At least as hazardous is the trade in counterfeit car parts. Even more worrying is the thriving trade in reconditioned aircraft components, passed off as genuine parts along with fake certificates of authentication.

Exercise 11. Complete the outline by filling in the words from the list below:

Afford; benefit; brand; business; caused; competitive; consumers; cost; counterfeit; counterfeits; developing; expiry; genuine; investments; legitimate; reconditioned; revenue; trade.

1. ______ businesses lose sales because their brands are confused with shoddy imitations (made by the copycats).

2. In addition, firms have to bear the ______ of anti-counterfeiting measures.

3. ______ owners are also concerned about legal liability.

4. In some cases customers, dissatisfied with fake products, claimed that brand owners should have taken precautions against ______.

5. As counterfeiters rarely pay duties or taxes governments lose ______.

6. Endemic (full-scale) counterfeiting makes countries less attractive for foreign ______.

7. Big ______ feels strongly about counterfeiting, but most customers are relatively unconcerned.

8. Some argue that counterfeiting benefits ______ in developing countries.

9. Thanks to counterfeiting they can get access to software that they might not otherwise be able to ______.

10. Sometimes counterfeits get brand holders introduce new models and sell them at ______ prices with their fakes.

11. Nevertheless, the costs of counterfeiting far outweigh the ______.

12. The problem of counterfeit pharmaceuticals is most acute in ______ countries.

13. Counterfeit pharmaceuticals is most acute, with too few active ingredients, too many contaminants, fake labels that cover up ______ dates are dangerous / harmful to health.

14. The ______ in counterfeit car parts is thriving too.

15. Authorities worry about the trade in ______aircraft components.

16. The cases when reconditioned aircraft components are passed off as ______ parts along with fake certificates of authentication are becoming more common.

17. ______ aircraft components can kill.

18. Several air crashes may have been ______ by the failure of counterfeit substandard parts.

Exercise 12. Render the gist of Text 2 in a few sentences.

Exercise 13. Translate into Russian.

Stolen Cultural Heritage

The illicit traffic in cultural property constitutes a global crime against heritage.

The plundering of cultural property is one of the oldest forms of organized- cross border crime and has become a world-wide phenomenon that transcends frontiers. As widely recognized, the border still offers the best opportunity to intercept stolen cultural artifacts, and to that end Customs plays a fundamental role in the fight against the unauthorized export of cultural property.

With a view to protecting cultural heritage, the WCO is encouraging effective co-operation and partnership with other international organization and law enforcement agencies such as ICOM, UNESCO and Interpol, aimed at exchanging information and stemming this illegal activity.

To accomplish this mission the WCO relies on the competencies and daily efforts of Member Customs administrations, as well as on its Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices – RILO Network.

Exercise 14. Read the Text 3 to answer the following questions:

1. What is Customs enforcement and compliance?

2. What activities are Customs enforcement services involved in?

3. What is the aim of enforcement activities of the Regional Customs Administrations?

4. How to improve the effectiveness of the enforcement efforts and achieve a balance between control and facilitation?

Text 3