XN000022-1987-02-09 — Page 9

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1987

8

YEAR OF SUCCESS FOR CUSTOMS

*****

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT HAD A SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN ALL AREAS OF ENFORCEMENT IN 1986.

APART FROM A RECORD SEIZURE OF 152 KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN BASE, REMARKABLE RESULTS WERE ACHIEVED IN THE AREA OF PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

THE SEIZURE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS ALMOST DOUBLED THAT OF 1985 AND THE SELLING OF SUCH GOODS AT STREET LEVEL WAS SHARPLY CURTAILED.

LAST YEAR THE DEPARTMENT SEIZED GOODS WORTH A TOTAL OF $243 MILLION AND PROSECUTED 5 769 PERSONS AND FIRMS IN CONNECTION WITH OFFENCES RELATED TO VARIOUS LAWS ENFORCED BY THE DEPARTMENT. FINES TOTALLING $25 MILLION WERE IMPOSED BY THE COURTS.

THESE REPRESENTED INCREASES OF 190 PER CENT, 12.5 PER CENT AND 78.5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER 1985.

THE SEIZURES INCLUDED 406 KILOGRAMS OF DRUGS AND 77 355 MANDRAX TABLETS WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $163 MILLION COUNTERFEIT GOODS WORTH $66 MILLION- SMUGGLED MERCHANDISE WORTH $12 MILLION AND DUTIABLE COMMODITIES WORTH $2.1 MILLION.

ON TRADE MALPRACTICES, 759 PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN OUT FOR OFFENCES RELATING TO CONTRAVENTIONS OF FACTORY REGISTRATION CONDITIONS, SUPPLYING OF FALSE INFORMATION IN APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, EXPORTS OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS WITHOUT VALID LICENCES, UNDER-VALUATION OF IMPORT AND EXPORT DECLARATIONS AND TEXTILE LICENSING FRAUD. THIS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 36.3 PER CENT OVER 1985.

IN REVENUE COLLECTION, THE DEPARTMENT COLLECTED ABOUT $3.44 BILLION ON DUTIABLE GOODS AS FOLLOWS:

1985

1986

% INCREASE

HYDROCARBON-OILS

TOBACCO

LIQUOR

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

$1 111 193 940

1 009 189 544

578 930 848

124 146 792

$1 251 272 394

+ 12.61

1 166 144 137

+ 15.55

725 676 636

+ 25.35

170 040 292

+ 36.97

COSMETICS

75 217 644

126 423 462

+ 68.08

'METHYL ALCOHOL