Malta’s Customs Department has been rightly praised during an international conference for its sterling work to combat contraband.

The praise came before its latest feat, the discovery of over 6,000 counterfeit items at the Freeport, made public last Tuesday after an investigation which took a number of days to complete.

It was the 14th success for the Customs Department since the start of the year. Apart from counterfeit cigarettes, clothes, shoes, watches and auto parts, the department also uncovered a shipment of cars that had been stolen in Italy and were on their way to Saudi Arabia.

This particular discovery was highlighted by Franz Bruner, director general of the European Unit Against Fraud, during last week’s conference in Cyprus. Malta was also praised by John Pulford, head of the Customs Policy and Controls Unit of the EU Commission, who went one step further by suggesting that other countries should follow Malta’s example and set up better structures to combat smuggling.

Apart from its sterling work at the Freeport, where all these counterfeit items were discovered, the Customs Department has also shown great efficiency in other areas, such as the apprehension of a number of people who were caught trying to bring in drugs via the airport.

It is always good news to hear Malta being praised for its work in a particular sector, especially one that is important to the country’s international image. One recalls that this image was greatly dented after the Lockerbie bombing, way back in 1988. These latest successes show that a great improvement has been registered on this front.

The work of Customs Department officials is not easy, particularly at the airport. This is because on the one hand they must see that, as much as possible, the importation and exportation of illegal items does not take place, not to mention the fact that the security of departing aircraft must be ensured.

On the other hand, they must not be exaggerated in their handling of passengers because this could give the wrong impression, particularly to passengers who have just arrived for their holiday.

It is not always easy to strike a balance between the two. If their checking is lax, criminals could go through Customs with their illegal goods; if their checking is too strict, then holiday-makers will think Malta is a police state.

Passengers often complain that the measures taken before one is about to board an aircraft are too stringent. But it must also be said that this is done in the name of security. People feel safer on an aeroplane if they know that all those who came on board were properly checked, and this includes their hand-luggage. God forbid that something happens on an aircraft just because Customs officers do not do their work as they should.

Following what happened on 11 September 2001, security measures have been upgraded in all airports around the world. It is therefore good that Malta was not an exception.

The task of Customs officers at the Freeport is somewhat easier because they normally do not have to deal with people, but with containers, most of them in transit between one country and another. Equipment that has been provided makes their task simpler because containers can now be x-rayed and the items inside checked with the container’s manifest. If the process arouses suspicion, then the containers are opened – in many cases, the items inside do not correspond with the papers and the illegality is uncovered.

All in all, it seems that the local Customs Department has built a positive reputation because of its efficiency. Still, every day, every aircraft, every container is a battle against unlawful behaviour. That is why the Customs Department must keep its eyes open at all times.