ABU DHABI, 29th October, 2013 (WAM) -- The Federal Customs Authority (FCA) of the U.A.E. signed an MoU on Monday with the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILO) of the World Customs Organization (WCO) to exchange intelligence over customs busts in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

The signing of the MoU aims to enhance cooperation with other countries of the region in exchanging intelligence on counter-smuggling methods and arrests to achieve the FCA strategic goals of protecting society security, facilitating trade and boosting cooperation with customs authorities around the world, according to Khalid A. Al Bustani, FCA Acting Director-General.

Under the terms of the MoU, liaison officers will be appointed to coordinate and implement the process of exchanging customs intelligence between the FCA and local customs departments on the one hand, and RILO on the other, to boost communications between both parties.

As an active member of the WCO, the U.A.E. plays a significant role in the world trade map as a regional trade hub linking the Middle East, North Africa, the Near East and the world.

Mr. Al Bustani stated, "The U.A.E. is keen to sign the MoU with RILO and boost the efforts exerted by the state to promote customs risk management, to fight cheating and smuggling, and protect the consumers against improper customs practices."Saudi-based RILO plays a major role in exchanging intelligence and experience over the customs activities as a part of the WCO's Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), he said, adding that it provides support for local liaison offices at the member states and ensures that the intelligence regarding regional customs busts is regularly entered into the CEN.

"RILO verifies the intelligence of regional busts, issues analyses of these busts to support the customs departments in the member states, collects, evaluates and publishes intelligence over customs violations, issues regular newsletters of regional and global busts and analyzes smuggling trends in the region," he said.

"RILO seeks to encourage cooperation with relevant agencies and organisations in the region in accordance with the rules and regulations set by the CEN in the WCO," said the FCA Acting Director-General. "It also seeks to help the customs authorities in their analysis operations in certain issues and improve the exchange of intelligence in the relevant issues in accordance with the legal conditions and regulations of the local or regional authorities," he said.

Al Bustani emphasised that the exchange of intelligence is one of the most important customs pillars for fighting drug and chemical trafficking and trade fraud. RILO Middle East has been established based on the recommendations of the WCO member departments for exchanging, analysing and distributing intelligence as a part of the customs work at the global level.

RILO Middle East Director, Faisal bin Saud Al Mujaish, said that the U.A.E. plays a strategic role at the level of world trade thanks to its special location at the heart of the trade hubs and on the new trade lines.

The partnership in exchange of customs intelligence is a key to building bridges between customs departments and partners by encouraging a transparent customs environment that contributes to economic development and social welfare, he said.

The RILO programme involves cooperation between three integrated levels: WCO Secretariat, RILOs and local liaison offices.

The WCO has 11 regional offices at the world level, most notably RILO Riyadh, linking between 10 local offices in the Gulf States in addition to Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2013.