Countering smuggling and economic crimes: the ESBU expands cooperation with the German customs service

 Strengthening international cooperation in countering cross-border economic crime and large-scale smuggling was discussed at the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine during a meeting with the newly appointed Representative of the German Customs Service in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Heiko Wild.

The German delegation was received by the First Deputy Director of the ESBU, Taras Shcherbai. The parties identified promising areas of cooperation and discussed opportunities for exchanging information, analytical developments, and practical experience.

Particular attention was paid to the German model of interaction between customs, tax, and law enforcement agencies, as well as to modern technologies used to detect financial offenses and the illegal movement of goods across the border.

Representatives of the ESBU spoke about the work of analytical and detective units, the implementation of data analysis tools, and the main directions of reforming the Bureau. Separately, they discussed the strengthening of international coordination in cases related to large-scale smuggling.

One of the next steps will be an international coordination meeting within the framework of the "Falcon" project (Fight Against Large-Scale Corruption and Organized Crime Networks), which the ESBU plans to hold in the autumn. It aims to bring together representatives of the competent authorities of partner countries, customs and border agencies, and international organizations.

Based on the results of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue the working dialogue and move on to processing specific joint initiatives.

Taras Shcherbai congratulated Heiko Wild on the beginning of his tenure as the Representative of the German Customs Service in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and wished him success in his further professional activity.

The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine is grateful to the German partners for their openness to cooperation. Combining experience, analytical capabilities, and international contacts will contribute to a more effective detection and cessation of economic crimes.