An anti-smuggling Customs operation to detect illicit

trafficking of strategic goods

Strategic objectives

Mobilize; highlight the role of Customs; develop strategic intelligence in relation

to illicit trafficking in GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS; determine capacity gaps

Tactical objectives

Profiling and targeting; identify perpetrators and networks; trends and patters

(commodities, routings etc.); create a network and a platform for

communication and use it (STRATComm)

Operational objectives

Identify high-risk shipments for control; detect, intercept, seize, EXCHANGE

INFORMATION on suspicious consignments; coordination and cooperation

internationally and nationally; engage the RILO Network

Cosmo – challenges No experience ID-ing risks

Not used to the topic, broad range of goods

No methodology to recognize goods

Even with legislation in place, frontline awareness/comprehension tends to be low

No experience to build risk profiles

Lack of skills & tech to inspect strategic goods

Instructions needed to put a NIP together

Too long, interference with other customs functions

Lack of international comms channels

Pre-Operation

Implementation Plan

Intelligence and Risk

Assessment

Profiling

Interdiction

Target

Verify

Seize

Investigation

Investigate and report

outcomes

Post-Operation

Complete operational

assessment

Continue ongoing

investigations

Brussels, 9-11 January 2018

Agreed Operational Plan

Raise awareness and support for Operation Cosmo 2

97 Countries attended

9-30 April 2018

113 Countries participating

Concept of “hot items” - themed weeks

National operational intensification

Enhanced technical reach-back through OCU

3 “themed” weeks of operation – more focused, more concise, but not exclusive to these items!

Hot items of the week are;

Week 1: chemicals (9-15 April): Week 2: nuclear + radiological goods and

materials (16-22 April): Week 3: military goods (23-30 April)

Pre-operational phase: 01 February – 06 April 2018

Based in WCO Brussels

Operation 0700-1900 Weekday during HIP

Support by IAEA, OPCW, INTERPOL

Commodities involved in CAMs Details

Aluminium powder (CAM#12)

Aluminium tubes and pipes (CAM#8)

Ammonium nitrate (CAM#9 and 11, 28)

Ammunition (CAM#36)

Capacitors (CAM#3)

Cocodiethanolamide (CAM#31)

Communication apparatus (CAM#4)

Ecolat (CAM#31)

Electric plugs (CAM #34)

Fertilizers, mineral or chemical (CAM#10) Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate mixture

Firewall lab unit (CAM#20)

Gardilene SSAS 210D (CAM#31)

Heat exchange units; not used for domestic purposes (CAM#14,

27, 32) metallic heat exchangers

Inverters (CAM #6)

Isostatic press (CAM#21)

Mass flow equipment (CAM#41)

Money transfer (CAM#35)

Network security device (CAM#19)

Pressure transducers (CAM #37,38)

Pumps (CAM#37, 38)

RA materials (Nuclear Moisture/Density Gauge Troxler Electronic)

(CAM#39)

Radioactive artificial isotopes (CAM#25)

Radioactive materials (CAM#26)

Rifle scopes (CAM#30)

Spectrometer (CAM#22)

Triethanolamine (CAM#29)

Valves (CAM#5, 7, 15, 16, 18, 24, 33, 37, 38)

Lack of knowledge & familiarity with STRATComm and reporting using CAMs

Delays in responding to CAMs – outside of working hours

Difficulty in developing strategic trade profiles

Difficulty in identifying relevant strategic goods

Regional Variation in both activity and results

Many complex and counter-intuitive supply chains

Nascent Expert community of expertise across Customs

Focus on Chemicals and HS Chapter 84 goods

Adam VasProgramme Coordinator

STCE Programme