Dubai Customs Receives A Governmental Delegation From Abu Dhabi Customs And Vital Installations And Facilities Protection Agency

A delegation from Abu Dhabi Customs and Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency in Abu Dhabi praised the goods and boats inspection methods implemented at Dubai Customs as well as the highly qualified inspectors who work there.

On a recent field visit to Al Humariyah Inspection Port the delegation got the chance to observe the inspection procedures and the different technical support units at Dubai Customs including the Mobile Lab, the Customs dogs squad (Customs K9 Unit), the boats and the X-ray detector.

During a meeting at Al Humariyah Inspection Center, Mr. Rashid Saif Al Dhabbah, Senior Manager of Cargo Operations Sea & Jebel Ali at Dubai Customs gave a presentation on the different types of inspection methods implemented at Al Humariyah Port. He explained the nature of this port as it deals with creek dhows and small-sized iron ships as well as the procedures adopted to guarantee the legitimacy of the goods at the port. He stated:" Al Humariyah Port monthly handles 600 departing creek dhows and 600 arriving, while Al Khour Inspection Center deals with 1000 arriving creek dhows and almost the same amount departing. These two ports have maintained their traditional character while greatly influencing and serving the trade movement with the nearby countries. Therefore, inspection procedures implemented there are by no means less significant than those taken at any other inspection port in Dubai".

During the visit, Mr. Rashid Al Dhabbah and Mr. Saeed Al Sayegh, Director of Al Humariyah Inspection Center accompanied the delegation on a tour where they were given a demonstration of the regular procedures applied by Dubai Customs inspectors to check the creek dhows and goods. They also saw some of the support units that are used at all customs ports and crossings in Dubai; for example, the Mobile Lab which was internally developed at the Department and has several devices used to detect drugs, explosives, chemicals and radioactive materials. The Lab is very useful when inspecting suspected luggage or shipments, and it proved to be quite effective during many missions in different customs points. They were also able to see the X-ray detector that checks waste containers. Inspection techniques and the vital role the Customs Dogs Unit plays during the execution of inspection operations were also demonstrated to the delegation.

Mr. Rashid Al Dhabbah said:" This visit comes as part of the mutual cooperation and coordination between the governmental departments in UAE. Exchanging expertise, enhancing cooperation, sharing knowledge and information about customs matters are some of the issues agreed upon during the visit.”

Confirming the visit’s great benefit, Mr. Ahmed Rashid Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi said:" The visit was a very fruitful one as it introduced the inspection methods implemented at Dubai Customs which are not only renowned locally, but also regionally and internationally. It was agreed that a delegation of inspectors from Abu Dhabi Customs would visit Dubai Customs and conduct a joint training program. We also intend to maintain and strengthen our cooperation with Dubai Customs and the Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency in Abu Dhabi in terms of exchanging expertise, sharing knowledge, and the means by which the cooperation between Customs Departments and other Government Departments can be enhanced. "

“We are looking forward to making the best of what has been discussed and shown today in order to stay in line with the comprehensive modus operandi adopted by all governmental departments in the UAE," Mr. Ahmed Rashid Al Suwaidi added.

At the end of the visit, Dubai Customs, Abu Dhabi Customs and the Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency exchanged memorial gifts and souvenirs.

Dubai Customs Combats Smuggling Of Rare And Endangered Animals

Dubai- Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, the senior Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Dubai Customs detected a number of attempts last year to smuggle and bring into the country rare animals in.

This was announced at the press conference held on Wednesday 14th January 2009 at Dubai Customs main building with Mr. Yousif Al Sahlawi, Executive Director of Customs Policies and Legislations and Mr. Mohammed Al Marri, Executive Director of Customs cargo Operations taking part and presence of a number of media representatives and Arab and International news agencies correspondents.

Mr. Al Saleh announced the discovery of attempts to bring into Dubai or re-export rare animals’ products including endangered lions, smuggled ivory, stuffed crocodiles, rare birds, deers, falcons and stuffed foxes by a number of traders and clients dealing with such internationally banned articles under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and international laws prohibiting trade in endangered species of animals.

“Dubai Customs being committed to international laws and agreements and the Common Customs Law of the GCC States is committed to stop all attempts to bring into the country prohibited products including endangered animals manufactured products”, he affirmed.

Mr. AL Saleh pointed out that UAE accession to CITES, which controls trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora as to protect human natural legacy, was in 1990.

CITES and annexes thereof determines the levels of trade in any species included therein and regulates movement and passage of wild species and products thereof across international borders whether or not for commercial or personal purposes.

“Unfair hunting and illegitimate trade in animals threaten world biological balance and lead to extinction of living beings whose existence in earth might have exceeded the existence of man himself”, he said.

From his part, Mr. Yousif Al Sahlawi stated that “the UAE complying with CITES and recognizing the importance of maintaining worldwide animals and plants wealth in general and UAE in particular, has issued the Federal Law No. (11) Of 2002 to regulate and control international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. A guide identifying the most important species of animals and plants being popular in international trade and wild life particularly those existing in UAE, was issued as well”.

Mr. Mohammed Al Marri confirmed that “Dubai Customs demonstrates special interest in combating smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods including endangered animals. To this end, a number of workshops introducing the danger of such products and methods of discovering them to inspectors have been conducted. Dubai Customs uses the latest technologies and equipments in the world to prohibit entry of these products into Dubai and seeks to develop the appropriate plans forbidding smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods and those requiring a procedure as the relevant restrictions and controls have been circulated to all respective customs centers.”

He added that “Dubai Customs has implemented an electronic system for restriction and prohibition linked with customs tariff mainly aiming at regulating the provisions and principles of implementing restriction and prohibition of goods and those requiring a procedure in a manner ensuring their accurate implementation according to the Common Customs Law of the GCC States and other laws and agreements in order to protect Dubai’s economic, social and environmental security.”

Worth mentioning, the World Customs Organization (WCO) designated 15 January 2009 as a day for intensifying efforts and tightening measures for combating smuggling of endangered species of animals and plants. Dubai Customs plans to participate in such Day by providing effective initiatives to be presented during the activities of Customs International Day on 26th January 2009, which set to be held under the theme of “Customs and Environment – Protection of Natural Legacy”.

The international trade in wild life estimated to be worth billion of dollars per annum including hundred millions of species of fauna and flora. It is a divergent type of trade ranging from live animals and plants to a great number of wild life derived products thereof including food products, leather articles, musical instruments, tourism antiquities and other products that only consider making rapid earnings at the expense of life diversity itself.

Dubai Customs Receives 50 Children From “Al Khaloud Nursery”

Dubai – 50 children from Al Khaloud Nursery at Karama District in Dubai whose ages ranging between 5 and 6 years visited on 9th February 2009 Dubai Customs where they have learned about some customs business processes and practices that fit their age.

Accompanied by Mohammed Al Mari, the Executive Director of Customs Cargo Operations Division, the children viewed the Operations Room existing devices and TV monitors.
Dubai Customs organized for the children accompanied by their teachers a site visit to Ras Al Khor Customs where they viewed a number of vessels of their different kinds and size and recognized the anchorage process, loading and unloading of goods and types of such goods.

The visit comes within the framework of Dubai Customs concern with supporting educational projects at schools for promoting the educational process and developing students` academic perceptions and circles of knowledge as part of its social responsibility and consistent communication with all society categories and institutions; mainly the educational institution.

The children were delighted while viewing the employees at their workplace and watching the vessels, which they read about in their schooling curriculum.

They were happy as well with the meal given to them considering the visit as an entertaining trip during which they have been embraced by customs inspectors’ felicity.

“Dubai Customs receives throughout the year delegations from schools and universities whether in the form of scientific or training visits for the benefit of their academic projects within the context of the continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research and keenness on providing support and help to schools, institutions and universities students being the statesmen of the future,” Al Mari said.

Ms. Ayesha Hassan, Manager of Al Khaloud Nursery, an affiliate of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority said that, “the Nursery is keen to organize academic and site visits for its children to workplaces, which their activities relate to the curriculum and for the purposes of entertaining them and mentally consolidating the information through viewing objects relating to such curriculum physically. The KG 2 children have a lesson addressing means of transportation including vessels as a maritime means of transport. We have selected Dubai Customs to organize this visit for the children based on its renowned local and international image in the industry”.

Ms. Hassan added that “the curriculum of KG 2 children includes 16 scientific units. We are committed to organize one external visit for each unit to mentally consolidate the scientific facts and physically viewing them. Such views shall remain engraved in their minds and retrieved for a long period of time after returning from this visit and telling them to their parents. The door is now open to all mothers to accompany their children in such visits if they wish so”.

Dubai Customs Takes Part In The 21st Pedigree And Whiskas Pets Show

The Detector Dogs Unit (DDCU) at Dubai Customs participated in the 21st Pedigree and Whiskas Pets Show held at the “Festival City” area in Dubai on 21st February 2009 being the first time in which a government organization in the UAE takes part in this annual charitable show.

DDCU took part with two showcasing, which aroused the attention and satisfaction of the public.

In the first show, customs inspectors sought the assistance of DDCU to examine a vehicle suspected to be loaded with explosives at one of customs land borders operating in Dubai. DDCU immediately responded to the request and a trained customs dog detected the explosives inside the suspected vehicle.

Customs inspectors, in the second show, examined a passenger’s baggage suspected of smuggling drugs. Customs inspectors failed in their first inspection attempt to detect the drugs, which were carefully hidden inside the baggage. They immediately called for DDCU to assist with examining the baggage. The call was immediately responded by DDCU and a drug detector dog examined the baggage and could identify the bag containing the illegal drugs.

Mr. Mohammed Al Mari, Executive Director of Cargo Operations at Dubai customs said that, “our participation in this show aims at highlighting DDCU key role in assisting inspection officers at different customs borders with maintaining Dubai’s security and safeguarding its borders being the reason for establishing the DDCU, which proved to be efficient over the past period since its inception.”

Worth mentioning, the DDCU was established in 2007 to assist customs officers with examining drugs and explosives in a manner protecting the society from any harms and maintaining safety and security of the citizen and the country. Cooperation was made with Dubai Police in connection with training the respective staff and qualifying customs dogs to operate in the area of security searching. The DDCU operates with six dogs, two of them are explosives dogs and the other four are drug detector dogs.

Dubai Customs Receives A Delegation Representing Federal And Local Government Departments And Organizations

Dubai – Dubai Customs received 19th March 2009 a government delegation comprising of representatives from a number of Federal and Local organizations and departments including the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The visit, which comes as part of inter-government agencies coordination and exchange of expertise, aimed at learning about customs processes and procedures applicable to the importation of agricultural products, foodstuffs and pesticides as well as the electronic declaration clearance system (Mirsal 2).

The delegation was received by Mohammed Matter Al Mari, Executive Director of Cargo Operations Division, Abbas Makki, External Relations Director, Mohammed Al Muaini, Senior Manager of Customs Tariff and Origin and a number of senior staff from Tariff and Declarations Departments.

While welcoming the delegation, Al Mari underlined Dubai Customs` keenness to cooperate and liaise with all government organizations for the benefit of UAE and its citizens as well as different public and private institutions.

“Dubai Customs puts its cumulative expertise and advanced business systems at the disposal of any government agency whenever needed. Dubai Customs follows the latest locally and internationally recognized systems and processes, which accelerate customs clearing formalities without disturbing accurate inspection operations that aim at maintaining the country’s social and economic security”, Al Mari said.

“Dubai Customs is a regulatory agency that implements Federal and Local decisions in respect of prohibiting and restricting imported goods, which require a procedure. The Prohibition and restriction related database is consistently updated in line with the Federal decisions and local ordnances once they are received”, he added.

The Federal Customs Authority (FCA) coordinated the visit where the visiting team included representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Water, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, Dubai Central Laboratory, Food Control Laboratory at Sharjah Municipality and Foods Control Laboratory at Fujairah Municipality.

The visiting delegation was briefed by Customs Tariff Section on the current goods prohibition and restriction system and how agricultural products, foodstuffs and pesticides are processed in accordance with the unified tariff table.

The prohibition and restriction system is a fast and accurate module contributing to provide economic and social security requirements. It explains reasons for prohibition, restriction or the procedure required including the legal title thereof.

The system provides as well browsing methods, which facilitate checking all data entered by the declarant in terms of the HS Code, product classification, etc.

The system handles all types of pesticides and disinfectants with a great importance due to their effect upon public health and environment. Such products are either restricted or requiring a procedure.

Calling for organizing similar visits to Dubai Customs by Municipalities Central Laboratories and other government organizations, Engineer Abdullah Al Amiry, representative of Ministry of Environment and Water said: “This Federal Team seeks to produce an integrated system to detect pesticides remains within imported foodstuffs and those existing in the local market and ensure that they are within the international standards in a way protecting the consumers. Our visit comes within such context to learn about Dubai Customs systems and business programmes and benefiting from them in producing the required mechanism”.

During the visit, expansive discussion took place on the procedures for testing samples of foodstuffs when entering customs borders and customs role in prohibiting them if not matching to the specifications based on the testing results provided by the Municipality offices located thereat.

Dubai Customs stated that the prohibition or restriction of agricultural pesticides and disinfectants depend upon the nature of the imported product and take place in collaboration with the competent authorities like the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Municipality.

Touring the Declarations department at the end of the visit, the delegation learned about the current service delivery standards and expressed their gratitude to Dubai Customs for the welcoming reception, preparing the visit and cooperation in providing the necessary information helpful for the federal team to complete its mission.