Customs Offences

One of the tasks of the Customs authorities is to investigate and establish any breach of the current Customs regulations.

Only Customs offences which are regarded as relatively serious are brought before the administrative tribunals or courts of law.

When a Customs offence has been established, the Customs authorities are empowered, in certain circumstances, to take the necessary precautionary measures and to seize or detain the goods and means of transport.

The penalties applied vary according to the seriousness or the importance of the offences.

Depending on the seriousness of the Customs offence, the Customs authorities may be empowered to require security, to seize or detain the goods and means of transport, or to detain the persons concerned and hand them over to other competent authorities.

After discovering a Customs offence the Customs authorities will inform the person concerned of the nature of the alleged offence and possible penalties.

The penalties are fines, seizure of the goods and, where appropriate, confiscation of the means of transport.

In cases where penalties are applied, the following Customs offences are punishable only by a small fine provided that there is no question of fraudulent intent:

- failure to present goods within a specified time limit;

- failure to follow itinerary prescribed for the conveyance of goods under Customs control;

- failure to produce documents or information within a specified time limit.

The fines are normally based on the amount of the duties and taxes and not on the value of the goods.

Exercise 3. Comprehension questions.

1. What isone of the tasks of the Customs authorities?

2. What are the Customs authorities empowered to do when a Customs offence has been established?

3. What do the penalties applied depend on?

4. Whatare the possiblepenalties?

5. What Customs offences are punishable only by a small fine?

6. What are the fines normally based on?

Exercise 4. Match the words from the text to the correct definition.

Exercise 5. Give synonyms to the following words:

breach –

seizure –

to prohibit –

authorities –

regulations –

conveyance –

to be liable to –

in accordance with –

to be empowered –

means of transport –

Exercise 6. Give the English equivalents to the following:

сотрудники таможенных органов; в соответствии с положениями; задержать и конфисковать товары; таможенные власти; компетентные органы; обеспечивать безопасность; административные органы; умышленное намерение; предъявлять документы; штрафы; основываться на чем-либо; налоги и пошлины.

Exercise 7. Rewrite the sentences below translating the Russian parts into English.

1. One of the tasks of the Customs authorities is to investigate and установить любое нарушение of the current таможенные правила.

2. The наказания applied vary according to the серьезность or the importance of the нарушения.

3. The fines are normally based on the величина таможенных пошлин и сборов and not on the стоимость of the goods.

4. When таможенное нарушение has been established, the Customs власти are empowered, in certain circumstances, to принять необходимые предупредительные меры and to конфисковать or detain the товары and транспортное средство.

5. Only Customs offences which are regarded as относительно серьезные are brought before the административные органы or courts of law.

6. The возможные санкции are штрафы, задержание of the goods and, where appropriate, конфискация of the means of transport.

7. If there is no question of умышленное намерение Customs offences are punishable only by a небольшой штраф.

Exercise 8. Sort out the following words into groups:

to smuggle; to detain goods; to impose a fine; to seize goods; to hand the offenders to competent authorities; to bring before a tribunal; to evade duties and taxes; breach of the provisions; fraud; to detain goods; money laundering; failure to produce information; small fine; to detain means of transport; to bring to court; to import goods without a visa.

Exercise 9. Read Text 2 to speak on common Customs violations.

Text 2