BEIJING: A major joint customs operation coordinated by the European Anti-Fraud Office (EAFO) and China’s Anti-Smuggling Bureau prevented the loss of more than USD103.7m in customs duties between February and March 2014.
Operation “SNAKE” targeted the undervaluation of imported goods. It involved customs authorities in each of the 28 European Union (EU) member states, along with those run by China. They cooperated using a secure communication channel developed by EAFO.
The contents of more than 1,500 containers were found to have been undervalued as a result of false descriptions of goods, weights and quantities. Counterfeit goods were also discovered.
Participating authorities were able to identify so-called missing traders and non-existing importers. This has triggered criminal and administrative investigations in a number of countries.