Saint Lucia

Caribbean Customs and Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC).

The CCLEC Regional Clearance System Network aims at enhancing
the capacities of the Caribbean customs agencies in order to suppress drug trafficking in the region by effectively gathering and applying intelligence systems. At the time of the project’s inception in June 1989, an estimated 30-40 per cent of the yearly cocaine supply for the US and Canada and 50-80 per cent of the cocaine directed to Europe transited the Caribbean. Light aircrafts and small boats were frequently used to smuggle consignments through routes in the region. A means of improving the efficiency of enforcement activities throughout the region was a priority, for 60 per cent of personnel resources in some customs administrations were employed to enforce border controls. The cost of enforcement activities was crippling to small islands. Funding for this project was provided primarily by the European Commission, Canada
and the United Kingdom. It is supporting better vessel tracking and sophisticated suspicious craft profiling. Improved communications between customs agencies is expected to enhance the efficiency of customs activities and interdiction efforts. By the end of the project in June 2001, customs clearance procedures will be simplified and standardized, enabling better data collection and dissemination. A regional database will be implemented, allowing customs officials in-stant access to archived data. Intelligence products will be provided to members on a continuous basis.

• Regional institutions and technical cooperation (Chapter XI of the Barbados Programme of Action)
• Human resource development (Chapter XIV of the BPoA)

• This project has provided the Regional Clearance System (RCS) and local customs authorities with the capacity and training to apply intelligence techniques to surveillance and search activities. The craft profiling, targeting and risk assessment capacity afforded by the RCS programme enables local customs officials to increase the efficiency of
operations, and more effectively channel human and financial resources. This shared database and intelligence network is expected to help jurisdictions outside the Caribbean.
• Phased implementation of the Regional Clearing System 2000 (RCS 2000), the region-wide Internet database system, began in June 2000, with installation of the hardware and software at each national RCS site. Internet service and workstations in Aruba, Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Trinidad, the Netherlands Antilles and Saint Maarten are now opera-tional. The RCS 2000 is expected to be rolled out to the entire Caribbean, including Colombia and Panama, by October 2001. Over 1,000 active sighting reports have been entered into the system to date.
• The Internet-based computer database and training programme, delivered in early 2000, was designed and produced by TradeBytes, using inputs gathered from the regional end-users.
• Training for the RCS 2000 system has been provided to local customs officials in each Caribbean jurisdiction during the installation of the technology. Local customs authorities have also benefited from better-trained officers, and effective management of the system’s capabilities is expected to maintain the sustainability of the project in the long-term.
• A communications strategy for regional partners and the public has been developed by communications officers from United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), CCLEC, Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency, French Customs and U.S. Customs. This public awareness strategy is expected to be implemented in mid-2001.

• The project has benefited from a Steering Committee, comprised of UNDCP, regional partners, CCLEC, Canada, France, the Netherlands and the United States. The expertise and training assistance of member countries, with established law enforcement infrastructures, has provided experienced guidance to regional customs agencies, while input from regional members has kept the project focused on the concerns, capacities and challenges of those who actually use and contribute to the RCS technology.
• The web-based nature of this project has highlighted the unevenness of technological capacities in the region, for some regions receive more consistent and better quality of service than others. These disparities are a concern, and strategies are being devised to meet this challenge.
• Communication between project partners has been invaluable in bolstering support for the project by customs agencies and keeping all interested parties abreast of the project’s ongoing development. It has been apparent that a project requiring regional implementation, and possibly multi-sectoral involvement, will require a comprehensive
communications strategy among CCLEC, regional customs agencies and other stakeholders.

CCLEC:
Kevin Byrne
Tel.: (758) 453-2556
Fax: (758) 453-2563
E-mail: cclec@candw.lc
Harry Griffoen
E-mail: jiosanjuan@prtc.net
Web site: www.customs.ustreas.gov

UNDCP:
Flavio Mirella
Tel.: (246) 437-8732
Fax: (246) 437-8499
E-mail:Flavio.Mirella@undp.org