Detection of illicit trade

Strengthening and improving beneficiaries’ (in particular, customs authorities’) technical capacity to detect suspicious movements and verify such movements, including by checking trucks, containers and other types of vehicles and means of transport. This will be measured by the number of new features in IT systems or the number of verifications and ‘hits’ following the use of the new equipment.

The Commission will support the purchase and maintenance of equipment and IT tools to strengthen beneficiaries’ operational and technical capacity to detect smuggled and counterfeited goods, including cigarettes and tobacco, imported into the Union with the intention of evading VAT, customs duties and/or excise taxes. Specialised training to enable staff to operate these tools must be included as part of the action.

To avoid any duplication in Union support, the UAFP targets the acquisition of equipment: (a) that does not fall under the scope of the Customs Control Equipment Instrument (CCEI); or (b) in case the equipment does fall under the scope of the CCEI, whereby the beneficiaries are different authorities from those targeted by the CCEI.