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August 1990
POLICE PRACTICES:
CUSTOM'S BET PROGRAM
An effective interdiction effort requires the cooperation
of all law enforcement agencies. To work toward this goal, the
U.S. Customs Service in New York developed a specific program--
the Border Envelope Team (BET)--to underscore a unified regional
approach to interdiction. Customs personnel from both the
Office of Enforcement and the Office of Operations produce
multiple sources of intelligence to provide the most complete
information on border activity.
The theory behind BET is that successful interdiction
requires law enforcement to understand fully all entities working
within the border environment. Monitoring the actions of
importers, brokers, airline personnel and others who transact
business on the border is critical. Once gathered, the
information is made available to other law enforcement agencies
on a routine basis.
Through research, observation and analysis, BET gathers
extensive data on the various entities operating on the border
and identifies those areas (cargo, passenger, and conveyance)
that pose the greatest threat. The goal of BET is ultimately to
produce profiles and patterns of operation that can determine
potential areas of vulnerability.
Computer Systems
The profiles and patterns developed are entered into two
major computer systems. The Treasury Enforcement Communication
System (TECSII) is an automated enforcement and inspection
support system that can create, maintain and retrieve
information. TECSII maintains information on wide-ranging
subjects of interest to law enforcement, including the names of
importers, brokers, aircraft, passenger and merchant vessels.
The Automated Commercial System (ACS) is a comprehensive
tracking, controlling and processing system of commercial cargo.
It gives inspectors and agents the ability of on-line query of
virtually the entire database.
Customs also maintains other, more specific, database
systems. The Private Aircraft Enforcement Tracking System, used
primarily at airports, screens pilots, crew members and
passengers on privately owned aircraft entering the United
States. The Exodus Seizure Database contains information
extracted from high technology seizure reports in the New York
region. Other similar systems assist agencies in identifying
individuals associated with terrorist organizations and also
track child pornography seizures.
Response Team
The Border Envelope Response Team (BERT), an extension of
the BET concept, responds to all non-Customs seizures and
arrests. Nine agents and five analysts gather information that
will assist Customs in its interdiction mission. This team
collects and reviews documents and records seized by other
agencies to determine if there are potential international
implications surrounding a case. Data entered into the database
systems can be used to identify criminal activity that crosses
the border.
The BERT Program has helped solve cases where cross-border
transactions afforded the strongest evidence in proving criminal
activity. In one case, the New York State Police contacted BERT
after a seizure of illegal fireworks. The suspect was identified
as an active importer, and alerts were placed in the Automated
Commercial System. In another case, agents of the Drug
Enforcement Administration contacted BERT when a Chinese food
importer was suspected of smuggling heroin with shipments of
food. With the assistance of Customs, DEA agents uncovered 99
pounds of the drug hidden in a shipment of soy sauce.
A step forward has been taken in the exchange of
intelligence among members of the law enforcement community.
Through BET and BERT, the New York regional office of the Customs
Service is attempting to create a more unified front against
criminal activity involving the border.
____________
Information for this column was contributed by Robert F.
Fitton, Intelligence Research Specialist, U.S. Customs Service,
New York Region.