In the context of the pandemic, the Regional Vice Presidency of the World Customs Organization (WCO) for the Americas and the Caribbean and the International Non-Governmental Organization Crime Stoppers held on Thursday (07.10.2021) the first training called "Illicit trade in COVID-19 vaccines«.
For two hours, instruction was provided virtually to more than 500 people from different customs of the countries that make up the region. The administrations of the United States, Canada, Argentina and the rest of Latin America.
Through an announcement on the social network Twitter, the Regional Vice President of the OMA, Werner Ovalle, said: “With the development of this seminar, it is hoped to strengthen the knowledge and capabilities of the staff of the different customs administrations, with the help of Crime Stoppers, in the fight against organized crime.«. The official explained that "COVID-19 has generated alarming data that has required taking concrete actions to safeguard the national security of each of the countries, where customs play a leading role."
Taking this context into account, the Director of Crime Stoppers Panama, Alejo Campos, expressed to Aduana News the importance of training for customs personnel to prevent possible counterfeiting and/or smuggling that is incipiently occurring in some countries.
“The current importance of the issue of COVID-19 vaccines will extend for a few more years, therefore, we do not want them to become another commodity in the portfolio that is smuggled and/or falsified to generate large amounts of money for criminal structures.”, Campos said. And he stressed that “It is important that customs begin to understand how to identify illegal vaccines At a time when many countries are not buying but receiving donations of vacciness ".
Regarding the training, Campos highlighted “el Direct contact between laboratory security representatives and customs” and he advanced “the possibility that Crime Stoppers will become, in Latin America and the Caribbean, a one-stop shop for anonymous reports on possible adulteration of vaccines”. Regarding this initiative he explained that “The information provided by citizens will reach the competent customs offices (in coordination with the WCO) and the corresponding laboratories (depending on the brand being reported), allowing these pharmaceutical companies to conduct the investigation and support customs.”
In this regard, the representative of the international organization dedicated to mobilizing citizens to provide information on crimes anonymously stated that “eThe launch of this Crime Stoppers one-stop shop for Latin America and the Caribbean will be announced shortly.”
According to official sources, the training was carried out by Representatives from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and SANOFI laboratories, who provided significant recommendations to customs staff to address the threat posed by illegal products in the case of vaccines, which are dangerous due to being of substandard or falsified, and to take appropriate measures to prevent organized criminal organizations from taking advantage of the critical situation.
The WCO and Crime Stoppers Panama are therefore collaborating with each other, as well as with other relevant parties in the private sector, to continue to assist Customs in ensuring the cross-border distribution of these essential goods throughout the Americas and Caribbean region.
Aduana News foi o primeiro jornal aduaneiro da Argentina a lançar sua versão digital. Com mais de 20 anos de trajetória, suas publicações e iniciativas têm como objetivo oferecer o conhecimento mais relevante sobre temas aduaneiros, contribuindo para a promoção do comércio seguro e da facilitação do comércio na região.
