Customs Inspections: Hard Evidence via Advanced Monitoring Solutions

forthcoming

Most of the time, the State Revenue Service Tax and Customs Police Department executed the customs inspections in an unfriendly environment. Operational activities include all: seizures of illicit tobacco products, cash, designer’s fuel, narcotic substances, sanctioned goods and detention of suspects. Lack of up-to-date multi-functional control units in operational vehicles and outdated body cameras often hamper the mission success with insufficient evidence. The hard evidence obtained during the customs inspections is essential for the subsequent pre-trial investigations. Irrefutable evidence wil also lead to shorter pre-trial investigations and greater number of disclosed excise, tax and customs, and drug offences. It will significantly reduce the time and resources allocated for the investigations. Therefore, the Tax and Customs Police (formerly the State Revenue Service Tax and Customs Police Department) intends to purchase SmartMonitor vehicle multifunctional control units for operational vehicles and the Axon Body AB4 body cameras for the personnel. The equipment is intended to be used on daily basis, conducting the customs inspections on the EU external border and inland to preclude the illegal flow of goods subject to customs clearance and thus preventing damage to the financial interests of the Community and individual Member States. Regardless of weather conditions and time of the day, the new equipmnet will allow for the vehicles and suspects identification where and when it is more appropriate and efficient; it will enable to carry out operations on the move and from stationary positions. The ability to process the images will largely facilitate identification of wanted persons and the vehicles. When faced with counteraction from the perpetrators, the use of the equipment, in compliance with the Law on Operational Activities, will significantly increase the officers’ personal safety and minimize the resolution of disputes with the third parties.