WCO Publishes Annual Reports on IPR, Tobacco, and Drugs

WCO uses these reports to highlight the trends and developments observed in each area and to provide Customs enforcement units with relevant analysis and usable data. The reports also demonstrate the efforts made by Customs administrations in the course of 2009 to combat these illegal trades more effectively, in particular through high-impact operations organized by WCO members with the support of the WCO Secretariat.

An extract of each of these reports may be accessed by the public. Below are highlights of the reports, taken from a WCO press release and the extracts:

Customs and IPR Report

The WCO Customs and IPR Report 2009 confirms the changing nature of IPR infringements. Whether it be the nature of the counterfeit goods or the routes they take, international fraud networks are still quick to react to new market conditions and the opportunities they present.

During 2009 there were 13,280 reported cases involving the seizure of more than 291 million counterfeit or pirated articles. A rise in counterfeit products can be observed in the pharmaceuticals sector, and in transport spare parts and high-technology products sector. According to the WCO, in 2009 the 13,280 seizures occurred as follows:

Customs and Tobacco Report

The WCO Customs and Tobacco Report 2009 provides an analysis of all reported seizures and aims to provide a global overview of the tobacco smuggling phenomenon. During 2009 there were 1,964 recorded seizures of illicit consignments of cigarettes, translating into approximately 3.4 billion cigarettes, or a 10% increase over 2008.

This report also presents the various international initiatives to combat the illicit trade in tobacco products to which the WCO contributes and in which it encourages its members to take part. According to the WCO, in 2009 the 1,964 seizures occurred as follows:

Customs and Drug Report

The WCO Customs and Drugs Report 2009 analyses seizures on a regional basis and by category of drug intercepted, focusing in particular on routings, means of transport and concealment methods used. Emphasis has been placed on the illegal trade in opiates, cocaine, cannabis, and psychotropic substances.

According to the WCO, in 2009 there were 14,127 seizures of drugs, yielding a total of 533 tons of narcotics, including 43 tons of cocaine, 408 tons of cannabis and 21 tons of opiates. The number of seizures in 2009 remained relatively stable compared with 2008, although there was a decrease in the quantities of drugs intercepted. According to the WCO, in 2009 the 14,127 seizures occurred as follows:

(Note that the WCO did not have seizure statistics for North America for 2009, as it was not submitted.)