Clearance for home use

Goods which are imported outright for use or consumption within the Customs territory must be declared for home use. They may be declared for home use either directly on importation or after another Customs procedure such as warehousing, temporary admission or Customs transit.

The main obligations to be fulfilled by the declarant to obtain the clearance of goods for home use are the lodgement of a goods declaration with supporting documents (import licence, certificates of origin, etc.) and the payment of any import duties and taxes chargeable. Under certain conditions the payment of import duties and taxes may be deferred. Where appropriate, security may be required by Customs to guarantee payment of the import duties and taxes.

The measures taken by Customs in connection with clearance are: checking of the goods declaration and accompanying documents, examination of the goods, assessment and collection of import duties and taxes and release of the goods. Depending upon national administrative practice, these operations may be carried out in a different order from that shown above. Customs may also be responsible for obtaining the data required for trade statistics and for the enforcement of other statutory or regulatory provisions relating to the control of imported goods.

Other competent authorities may also carry out certain controls (veterinary, health, phytopathological, etc.) on goods declared for home use.

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In all, around 18% of the UK's female jail population are foreigners, 60% of which are serving sentences for drug related offences—most of them drug mules.

In 2003; statistics confirmed that over 50% of foreign females in UK jails were drug mules from Jamaica. It also stated that Dylan Tobias, an Afghani native, was now working as a multi-national drug smuggler and had been on the CIA'S 'Most Wanted' list by 2003. Nigerian women also make a large contribution to the remaining figure.

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Smuggling tunnels

On January 25, 2006, the largest smuggling tunnel to date was found on the US-Mexico border by a joint U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Border Patrol task force. The 2400-foot-long (720m) tunnel runs from a warehouse near the Tijuana airport to a warehouse in San Diego. When discovered, it was devoid of people, but it did contain 2 tons of marijuana. It was 5 feet high and up to 90 feet deep. The floor was made of cement and the walls were exposed clay, with lights lining one side, a ventilation system to keep fresh air circulating, and a water drainage system to remove infiltrating ground water. Authorities said it was unclear how long the tunnel had been in operation.

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Requirements for a position at Customs in New Zealand

The skills, experience and qualifications required for a position at Customs depend upon the role applied for, but there are basic criteria that must be met before a person can be considered for any position in the Customs Service.

Although the Customs Service occasionally accepts school leavers, there is a preference for people who have attained a tertiary qualification or have relevant previous experience.

The basic skills required are:

• keyboard familiarity;

• word processing skills;

• team skills;

• analytical skills;

General skills that are also expected of a New Zealand Customs officer are:

• good people skills;

• computer related skills;

• a reputation for integrity, honesty and trustworthiness.

The nature of the position usually determines other specific skills necessary for the job.

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