Customs administrations from different parts of the world successfully carried out an operation called "STOP" against the illegal trade of goods linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, reported On Tuesday (06.10.2020) the World Customs Organization (WCO) .
The operation occurred in immediate and urgent response of the OMA, in collaboration with 99 member administrations and its network of Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILO), in response to the resurgence of illicit trade in medicines and medical supplies, including those related to the pandemic.
As part of the initiative, members carried out a total of 1.683 interceptions. This involved more than 300 million units of drugs, as well as more than 47 million units of medical supplies (masks, gloves, COVID-19 test kits, thermometers and gowns) and approximately 2.8 million liters of hand sanitizer gel.
La Operation STOP took place from May 11 to July 12, 2020, under the direction of the WCO Secretariat. For 63 days, members simultaneously carried out targeted inspections of shipments, using the WCO checklist of COVID-19-related products.
WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said the success of Operation STOP “It demonstrated the adaptability and technical expertise deployed by Customs as the only government agency empowered to monitor all cross-border movements of goods, particularly at a time of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. ".
Furthermore, Mikuriya congratulated the customs administrations who have participated in the operation, as well as international organizations , the INTERPOL, UNODC, OLAF and Europol and the private sector represented by Novartis, Servier, Pfizer, Sanofi. and UL.
The results and conclusions of the operation will enable the WCO and its members to improve the management of operational risks faced by Customs and ensure more effective targeting of illegal goods at global, regional and national levels.
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