Working as an Anti-Smuggling Officer

Steve works as an anti-smuggling officer at Dover. At the age of 19 he joined the Dover Customs, clearing imported commercial goods. His team examines freight vehicles coming into the UK, looking for illegal drugs, counterfeiting, pirate goods, and other prohibited items such as firearms, and endangered species. He is also involved in the documenting and removal of suspect goods from vehicles.

He has a lot of contact with the public. He was attracted by the idea of working for a professional and well organized team, with the opportunity to work in a variety of disciplines.

The diversity of duties makes his work challenging and rewarding. He is lucky enough to be involved not only in anti-smuggling work but also in training. No other job could offer such personal satisfaction with the chance to protectsociety.

Exercise 12. Give the English equivalents for:

запрещенные товары, транспортное средство;получать удовлетворение; подозрительные товары; хорошо слаженная (организованная) команда; разнообразные обязанности; контрафакция; деятельность, связанная с борьбой против контрабанды наркотиков; пиратские товары; напряженная и стоящая работа.

Exercise 13. Rewrite the sentences below translating the Russian parts into English:

1. His отдел досматривает freight vehicles coming into the UK, looking for illegal наркотики.

2. He is also involved in the изъятие подозрительных товаров from транспортные средства.

3. No other job could offer such chance to защищать общество.

4. The diversity of his обязанности makes his work напряженный and стоящий.

5. Steve is also involved in the detecting контрафактные и пиратские товары, and other запрещенные предметы such as firearms, and животные и растения, находящиеся под угрозой уничтожения.

Exercise 14. Act out the dialogue asking ‘Steve’ the following questions:

-What does your work involve?

-When did you join the Department?

-What do you enjoy about your job?

-What’s been the high point of your career?

Exercise 15. Translate the Russian words in Text 3 into English.

Choose from: land tax; hazardous items; arrest warrants; parliamentary consent; legislation; authority; appropriate; Customs duty; goods; Customs area; collecting and safeguarding; bonded store; excise duty; entry; immigration authority; flow of goods; customary revenue; rules; personal effects.

Text 3

Customs is an орган (власти) or agency in a country responsible for сбор и сохранение Customs duties and for controlling the товаропоток including animals, личные вещи and опасные предметы in and out of a country. Depending on local законодательство and regulations, the import or export of some товары may be restricted or forbidden, and the Customs agency enforces these правила.

The Customs may be different from the иммиграционные власти, which monitors persons who leave or enter the country, checking for соответствующий documentation, apprehending people wanted by international ордера на арест, and impeding the въезд of others deemed dangerous to the country.

A таможенная пошлина is a tariff or tax on the export of goods. In the Kingdom of England, Customs duties were typically part of the обычный доход of the king, and therefore did not need парламентское согласие to be levied, unlike акцизный налог, налог на землю, or other forms of taxes.

Commercial goods not yet cleared through Customs are held in a таможенная зона, often called a склад временного хранения, until processed.

Exercise 16. Answer the following questions:

1. What is Customs responsible for?

2. What is immigration authority responsible for?

3. What is a Customs duty?

4. Where are commercial goods held uncleared?

Exercise 17. Translate into Russian.

Typical work at the Customs includes:

§ processing and risk-assessing passengers entering or leaving Russia (including baggage and personal search);

§ processing of cargo including documentary checks and physical examination (including at international mail centres and air and sea ports);

§ boarding ships and aircraft to check compliance with regulations;

§ searching ships for undocumented cargo, prohibited goods and stowaways;

§ collection of duty;

§ administrative work related to the above.

Exercise 18. Read Text 4 to answer the following questions:

1. In what country was the virtual Customs office established?

2. Why was this system introduced?

3. What does a virtual Customs office contain?

4. What does this project demonstrate?

5. What does it provide?

Text 4