Border Services Have to Be Ahead Smugglers – Ferenc Banfi

A single operation undertaken by the customs officers of Moldova and Ukraine, with the support of EU Border Assistance Mission, allowed detecting certain violations which led to confiscation of a quantity of goods more than a 3-month average. According to the Mission’s report, during the operation, which lasted 10 days, 322 persons were arrested, who have attempted to cross the border illegally. Over 52 tons of meat products, over 63 tones of vegetables, about 11,3 kg of drugs, 5520 cigarette boxes, and 2,555 liters of alcohol were confiscated. According to the head of EU Mission, General Ferenc Banfi, these figures show how positive the result of a close collaboration between the institutions participating at the border monitoring process of the both states can be. It is important to sustain the experience accumulated during the operation, and the Mission will support the next ones as well, Banfi noted. He also added smuggling activity is usually practiced by criminal organized groups. While fighting them, the border services have to be one step ahead. This supposes close collaboration and information exchange, he mentioned. EU Mission supports the border operation in order to improve the cooperation between the customs and border services of RM and Ukraine, according to the report. The Mission contributed to preparing the operation and controlling its implementation. EU Border Assistance Mission started its activity on November 30, 2005, as result of certain joint appeals on behalf of the presidents of RM and Ukraine. The Mission is planned for a 2-year period, and about 70 experts of several states of the European Union work within it.