11 attempts of drug smuggling prevented by Armenia’s customs officers in 2007

ARKA
20/09/2007 16:30

This year Armenia’s customs officers have prevented 11 attempts of
drug smuggling to the country, Director of the Central Office,
national liaison units of Customs Service of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) "RILO-Moscow" Dmitry Kuzmin told reporters.

"Armenia has been immediately involved in our activities since
RILO-Moscow started operating. The national liaison unit and the
law-enforcers of Armenia’s Customs Service establish regular
transmission of data to the RILO-Moscow network," he said.

Kuzmin also pointed out active exchange of information on the
smuggling routes with Armenia and other participants in the CIS
liaison units.

"Suffice it to say that in 2006 alone the law-enforcers of Armenia’s
Customs Service prevented six attempts of drug smuggling to Armenia,
and 11 attempts on 2007," he said.
Kuzmin pointed out that this is a result of activities of the national
liaison units.

Head of the Armenian liaison unit Elmen Tsarukyan pointed out that the
liaison program enhances the efficiency of Armenian customs officers’
work.

"The most important thing for customs officers is information, and
RILO-Moscow ensures rapid exchange of information. If any facts of
smuggling are revealed in a participant-country, the information is
included in the network within one day," Tsarukyan said.

The regional liaison unit RILO CIS was formed in 2001 on the
initiative of the World Customs Organization and under a decision of
the Council of Chief of the CIS Customs Services.

The RILO CIS unit unites the units in Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The central office is ILO Moscow.

The regional liaison unit focuses battling the smuggling of drugs and
psychotropics, arms, ammunition, explosives, etc.
All the RILO CIS member-countries, except for Azerbaijan and Belarus,
are participating in the organization’s 6th meeting in Yerevan.