Pubdate: Tue, 16 Sep 2003
Source: Cyprus Mail, The (Cyprus)
Copyright: Cyprus Mail 2003
Contact:  http://www.cyprus-mail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/100
Author: Katya Diogenous

CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT ACQUIRES NEW 'ELECTRONIC EYE'

THE DEPARTMENT of Customs and Excise will be cracking down on the illegal 
smuggling of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and other products into the country 
with a new 'electronic eye' system.

The integrated customs information system, codenamed 'THESEAS', will 
inspect all the containers and merchandise that arrive in Cyprus as well as 
goods being transported across the island.

Panos Hartsiodes from the Department of Customs and Excise told the Cyprus 
Mail yesterday the department had an important role to play in the process 
of accession the EU. " The system is intended as a tool which will be used 
in restructuring and modernising the Department of Customs and Excise as 
well as in providing the required support to achieve the required 
harmonisation of the legislation and procedures," Hartsiodes said. "It will 
be the first complete web enabled system in Europe."

The electronic 'eye' will be looking closely at freight coming from 
countries with high rates of smuggling, suspect forwarding agents, ships 
with suspicious pasts, customs clearing agents and all those who have ever 
been linked to or are suspected of smuggling. The customs house believes 
this is an effective way to control the smuggling of cigarettes, alcohol, 
drugs and all other illegal trade.

The system will be enforced with the provisioning elements transmitted by 
OLAF (The European Anti Fraud Office), World Customs Organisation and the 
general customs authorities of other countries, in co-operation with 
Cyprus. The computer system will be able to tell customs' officials which 
loads or containers need to be checked.

The program was bought from Denmark, but has been readjusted to coincide 
with Cyprus' laws. One part of the program has reportedly already been sold 
by the department to another country.

All known and suspected smugglers' names will be entered in transactions 
onto the computer to avoid the procedure of written statements and work 
that is carried out for the clearance of goods through customs. This way 
all the necessary documents will be passed through the computer, the taxes 
will automatically be paid and it will not be essential for all goods to 
pass through the customs house offices.

The electronic eye will reduce compliance costs and improve turnaround 
times for clearance through the Computerised Risk Analysis module.

Through this system, the burden of current labour-intensive work will be 
shifted to automated systems, allowing staff to focus on the key business 
areas of intelligence, control, facilitation and enforcement.

However, the implementation of the system will not rule out on the spot 
checks. According to customs officials, in an effort to enforce strict 
regulations, checks will be made on the transportation of merchandise by 
vehicles on the roads.

The computerisation of Customs operations is crucial in support of the 
Community Customs Code.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens