Interviewer: Is there anything else you would like to comment on during this interview?

Director: Yes, most definitely. As you probably know, the Office of Intelligence is the clearinghouse for some of the most sensitive information within the Customs, information on national defence as well as on Customs investigations. To protect this information, the U.S.Customs needs individuals of the highest caliber in terms of trustworthiness and integrity. One of my goals as Director is to ensure that we recruit and hire only those who meet these strict security standards. Integrity and the pursuit of exellence are the cornerstones I want to use to build and further develop the Customs Intelligence Program.

Vocabulary Notes on the Dialogue

¹ tne Customs Intelligence - таможенная разведывательная служба.

² the Office of Intelligence - разведывательное управление.

³ to assume the helm of - взять на себя управление.

⁴ national guidance - руководство в масштабах страны.

⁵ field manager - ответственный за конкретное направление.

⁶ the Customs enforcement mission - правоохранительная деятельность таможенной службы.

⁷ the Intelligence Operations Centre - оперативный центр разведывательного управления.

⁸ to be placed on lookout - взять под контроль.

⁹ the TECS (the Treasury Enforcement Communications System) - банк данных, содержащихся в компьютерной системе управления.

¹⁰ modus operandi - лат. способ действия.

Exercises on the Dialogue

1. Read and translate the dialogue.

2. Find in the text English equivalents of the following:

взять на себя управление таможенной разведывательной службой; понимание роли разведывательного таможенного управления; отвечать за общее руководство и основные направления; обеспечивать непосредственное (прямое) руководство; долгосрочные цели; контрабанда научно-технических открытий; влияние на правоохранительную деятельность таможенной службы; оперативный центр разведывательного управления; клиринговая (расчетная) палата для наиболее секретной информации; таможенные расследования; соответствовать строгим стандартам офицера службы безопасности

3. Answer the following questions:

1) What are the roles of the Office of Intelligence within Customs?

2) What is the role of the field intelligence manager?

3) What is the most important objective of the new Office of Intelligence?

4) What are the experts supposed to acquire?

5) What are the relations between the functions of the Intelligence Office and the Customs enforcement mission?

6) What information did the Intelligence Operations Centre receive?

7) What happened after this information had been received?

8) What did the Intelligence analysts notice when they arrived in Belgium?

9) How did the Belgian Customs discover cocaine on board the vessel?

10) What kind of information should be protected?

11) What qualities are required from the people working at the Customs?

12) What will help to further develop the Customs Intelligence program?

4. Sum up the contents of the dialogue according to the plan:

1) The Office of Intelligence within the Customs: its role and objectives.

2) An example of cooperation between the Intelligence Operation Centre and the Customs.

3) The Director’s point of view on the development of the Intelligence Office within the Customs.

Vocabulary and Speech Exercises

5. Read and translate the following text:

Abridged from Pulcovo Aviation Enterprise Inflight magazine.

The struggle against smuggling and violation of Customs regulations has always been closely connected with the political and economic situation in our country. It possesses particular features of its own, which depend upon the situation in question.

A common reason for violation of customs regulations has always been and still is foreign currency; an enormous quantity of it continues to be exported from Russia, both legally and illegally. From an analysis of currency offences it is concluded that there are definite categories of people who commit these offences.

To the first category belong those who do so out of ignorance of Customs legislation: for them Customs regulations and their liability to them is something that is abstract and has nothing to do with them; failing to declare all their foreign currency when crossing the boarder seems to them to be a minor offence, and the decision by Customs to impose a fine of 100% of the value of the illegally imported currency comes like a bolt from the blue. Incidentally, this is the minimum sanction for such an offence.

The second category of foreign currency smugglers are those who are leaving for countries with unstable political situation and a high crime rate. Fear of revealing the amount of their savings and of being robbed leads to the failure to declare their money to Customs.

The third category consists of people who deliberately provide false information about the money they are carrying. As a rule, they do this with the aims of not providing information about the cash they are exporting and of concealing their personal finances from the tax authorities.

The most effective way to fight these offences will be to bring the Customs legislation into good order, particularly in the section concerning Customs declarations, where there are appreciable gaps.

6. Give English equivalents to the following words and phrases from the text above:

борьба с контрабандой; нарушения таможенных правил; по незнанию таможенного законодательства; мелкое правонарушение; при пересечении таможенной границы; решение таможни о наложении штрафа в размере...; минимальная санкция; нестабильная политическая ситуация; страна с высоким уровнем преступности; личные сбережения; умышленно давать недостоверные сведения; налоговая служба; привести в надлежащее состояние таможенное законодательство; ощутимые пробелы

7. Give the main ideas of the text of Exercise 5 in the form of a dialogue between an interveiwer and a customs official. Use the collocations of Exercise 6.

8. Complete the following dialogue:

At the Air Terminal

Robert Davis is returning from Europe. His plane has just landed at Heathrow Airport.

Customs Officer: ___________________________________?

Davis: Yes, I am.

Customs Officer: __________________________________?

Davis: Yes, of course.

Customs Officer: __________________________________?

Davis: No, only three days.

Customs Officer: _____________________________________?

Davis: Oh, only in Europe. Germany, France and Belgium, actually.

Customs Officer: __________________________________?

Davis: Nothing, actually. I’ve been on a business trip, not a holiday.

Customs Officer: __________________________________.

Davis: Oh, I see.

Customs Officer: __________________________________?

Davis: No, nothing. I went to the wrong gate, that’s all.