The World Customs Organization (WCO) was first established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) and is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. Today, the WCO represents 183 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade.
On 24 November 2022, the WCO published its first Global Trendspotter Report on Customs-related Commercial Fraud which was developed by national Customs experts as well as by representatives from WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), with the financial support of Korea Customs.
The Report offers insight into new trends and fraud patterns, complementing traditional monitoring instruments. It is built on methodological triangulation, involving a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies comprising scientific literature reviews, data collection and the compilation of expert opinions in a structured manner, based on the Trendspotter methodology originally developed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) as a tool for drug monitoring.
It provides a classification of the three most significant types of commercial fraud based on WCO Member administrations’ experience. This ranking may help Customs prioritize their efforts. Additionally, it identifies a number of activities posing the greatest threat when it comes to commercial fraud. An important contribution is the capturing of elements that affect how fraudsters operate along with the identification of indicators pointing to suspicious activities. The Study Report also lists the best means of detection, highlights a range of good practices developed worldwide to fight fraud and makes recommendations. It is restricted to representatives of Customs and relevant law enforcement agencies.
The Report was launched during an event attended by 200 delegates from some 60 Customs administrations spanning the globe, together with representatives from the WCO RILOs and OLAF.
Participants from Customs administrations acknowledged the need to share relevant information with the WCO Secretariat and between themselves to improve risk assessment and trend-spotting, as well as the need to pool efforts, by leveraging synergies and enhancing collaboration, to combat commercial fraud more effectively.
The role played by Customs Administrations became even more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic in mitigating the crisis and adequately responding to emerging trends, such as the increase of international trade via E-Commerce.
To look further into the topics of the WCO media newsroom, click this LINK.
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