PHILIPSBURG--Customs head Anthony Doran says with increased mobility and manpower, daily targeted controls will be carried out at the airport and harbours, on the streets and in the lagoons. The department recently received two SUVs and eleven Auxiliary Police BavPol recruits joined its team.
Customs officers can be seen in specially-marked vehicles while carrying out controls. Customs recruits are doing practical training under the supervision of senior officers.
The department is expecting two more vehicles later this year. At present it is working closely with the Coast Guard for on-sea controls. It is also in daily communication with French Customs, the Prosecutor's Office, police officers of St. Maarten and officers of the Royal Marechaussees.
The department expects to have a new sniffer dog by mid-year. Doran said the dog was very important to the Customs team, as it will be a tool for controls. They expect to have at least two sniffer dogs. An officer has already been selected for three months' handler's training with the dog.
Customs has the authority to search all vehicles, mobile compartments and persons on the streets for merchandise. An area of limited access is private housing. Customs does not have the authority to enter without permission from the Prosecutor's Office.
The department regularly watches for merchandise and illegal goods. Doran said that while fake merchandise was an issue, his priorities were set on intercepting weapons and drugs, because these things actively affect society in a negative manner.
On the lagoon mega-yachts are checked for firearms, among other things. The law allows a firearm with proper licence to be present aboard a pleasure boat as a means of protection. When the vessel enters new territory the firearm must be declared. Customs searches the vessel and checks that the firearm aboard matches the one declared and that it is stored correctly. A second control is done to ensure the weapon is taken when the vessel leaves.
Doran said the main concern was that these guns were not left behind. Left behind or stolen firearms can be used in crimes on the island; therefore, thorough checks are a preventive measure. Should a weapon that had been aboard a yacht be used in a crime, investigators would know where it had originated, as Customs would have it registered.
Nicolas Anelka Television Peter Atherton Regulators Norway International criminal court
No comments:
Post a Comment