Text 2. 2. Effective passenger

 

AND BAGGAGE CONTROL

 

In dealing with any passenger, the single most important point to establish is «Why has this passenger travelled?» You should:

ü Establish reasons for travel.

ü Examine passport to ascertain previous and current journeys from drug production or suspect areas. If the passenger is a frequent traveller establish reasons for frequency of travel.

 

 

FOR PASSENGERS!!!!!!

 

Please, keep your passport safe. Do not leave it in the suitcase, bus, hotel room or car. It's better to keep the passport separately from your documents and money.

 

 

ü Examine ticket to ascertain method of payment and whether ticket matches the passenger's journey. (Remember: Late booked or cash tickets are often used by smugglers.)

 

All the above should be carried out for all passengers. As for their reasons for travelling, your basic questions are:

ü Is this all your baggage? Did you pack it yourself?

ü Do you know what the baggage contains?

 

ü Are you carrying any items for anyone else? Are you travelling alone?

ü Do you know what the Customs allowances are? (Check that the passenger has correct baggage reclaim tags.)

 

 

Practical examinations

 

 

Passenger travelling on business:

 

ü Examine any documents in order to verify whether the passenger is engaged in legitimate business. Make sure that documents relate to up-to-date transactions.

Visitors or residents returning from holidays:

 

ü Look for gifts, clothing, souvenirs and the usual items you would normally expect to find with this type of passenger. These will link passengers to the baggage and reasons for travel. (Be suspicious of passengers arriving with only light baggage containing few, if any, articles of personal nature.)

 

All passengers:

 

ü Always check baggage for concealments;

 

ü Regularly examine articles within the baggage by X-ray and/or opening them (e.g. tinned goods, toiletries, cigarette cartons, etc.). Don't overlook the commonplace.

 

Search of person:

 

ü Carry out a search of person where suspicion still exists.

 

FOR PASSENGERS!!!!!!

 

Please, don't leave cash and valuables in identity documents which you show during Customs clearance. Otherwise the fact of passing cash and valuables to the Customs officer will be considered as the criminal offence which means bribery.

 

Points to remember prior to baggage examination

 

 

ü Adopt a positive approach. You must believe that if there are goods concealed, you will find them.

ü You are a representative of this department and in the public eye. At all times, act with courtesy and diplomacy. Be firm, but fair and confident.

 

ü Do not be drawn into arguments. Remain calm however provoked.

ü Do not hesitate to seek assistance or advice from colleagues.

ü Experience has proved that goods, and in particular drugs, can be concealed within baggage and its contents in many different ways. Remember the basic concept that wherever there is a space there can be a concealment.

 

Helpful hints

 

The examination of baggage can be separated into two clearly defined areas: the contents and container.

Contents

Remove the contents carefully and systematically. Examine individual items as necessary during this process. Separate any items worthy of closer attention and place out of the passenger's reach.

 

To facilitate the examination of certain articles, each baggage station should have a comprehensive selection of tools and other equipment including an X-ray machine.

 

You should make full use of the equipment at your disposal. When using tools to examine contents, exercise care to minimize damage. If it is necessary to damage an article, try to establish its value prior to examination.

 

FOR PASSENGERS!

 

 

ITEMS FORBIDDEN TO BE TRANSPORTED IN HAND LUGGAGE:

ü toy or replica guns (plastic or metal), catapults;

ü household cutlery – knives with blades (of any length), corkscrews, paper knives, razor blades;

ü tradesman's tools, drills, screwdrivers, hammers, pliers etc.;

 

ü darts, sport bats, arrows, billiard cues;

ü scissors (of any size), steel nail files;

ü medical syringes (except of medical need);

ü knitting needles;

ü or any other article which the Security of Minsk Airport authority consider might be used or could be applied for causing injury or incapacitation of a passenger.

 

On November 6, 2006, new security rules restricting the amount of liquids that you can take through security checkpoints came into effect at all airports in the EU and in Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The rules are applied to all passengers departing to EU whatever their destination.

 

FOR PASSENGERS!

 

YOU MUSTN'T HAVE THE FOLLOWING

FORBIDDEN ITEMS AND LIQUIDS:

 

ü water and other drinks, soups, syrups;

ü creams, lotions and oils;

ü perfumes;

ü sprays;

ü gels, including hair, body and shower gels;

ü shaving foam and cream, deodorants;

ü mascara;

 

ü any other item of similar consistency.

 

You are allowed to carry a small amount of liquid in your hand luggage. The liquid should be individually packed. The volume of a pack shouldn’t exceed 100 ml. All the packs should be put in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag. The total volume of the bag shouldn't exceed 1 litre per person.

 

FOR PASSENGERS!

 

 

ITEMS FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORTATION IN BAGGAGE:

 

ü explosives-munitions, inluding detonators, fuses, grenades, mines;

ü gases: propane, butane;

ü flammable liquids including fuel, methanol;

ü flammable solids and reactive substances including magnesium, fireworks and flares;

ü lighters;

 

ü oxidising and organic peroxides;

ü maintenance kits for bodywork;

 

ü poisonous or infectious substances such as ratsbane, infected blood;

ü radioactive materials including medicinal and commercial isotopes;

ü corrosives such as mercury, accumulators of transport facilities;

 

ü fuel delivery system components of transport facilities which contained fuel.

 

EXERCISES

 

I. Look through text 2.2 again and answer the following questions:

 

1. What is the most important point in dealing with a passenger?

2. Why is it important to verify whether a passenger is engaged in legitimate business?

 

3. Why should a Customs officer be suspicious if a passenger returning from holidays has only light baggage?

 

4. What points are of major importance prior to baggage examination?

 

5. What can make the examination of baggage more successful?

6. What technical equipment is necessary for a better examination?

 

7. What precautions should be taken when using tools to examine contents?

 

II. Working in pairs mark the questions which you would ask passengers on arrival? Discuss your answers with your partner. Give your reasons for and against.

 

Ø What time is it by your watch?

Ø What is the purpose of your visit?

Ø Is it your dodge?

Ø What is your home address?

Ø Where have you arrived from?

Ø How many foreign languages do you speak?

 

Ø Are you travelling alone?

Ø Do you need a doctor?

 

Ø What is your occupation?

Ø What has taken you aback?

Ø What is your wife's name?

Ø Is it real turquoise in your ring?

Ø Is your suitcase very heavy?

Ø How much do you earn per hour?

 

Ø Where did you buy your ticket?

Ø Do you use any drugs?

Ø Is this all your baggage?

 

III. Find the odd ones out. Compare and discuss your answers with your classmates.

 

In addition to clothing, toilet articles and other articles of an obviously personal nature, the following shall, in particular, be considered to be personal effects (only 7 items):

 

personal jewellery	table and 4 chairs for	binoculars
portable musical	camping
instruments	CD player	TV set
wheel-chairs for	sporting firearms	refrigerator
disabled people
piano	arms with	X-ray machine
	ammunition

 

IV. Study the following. Discuss with your partner what important «warnings» are missing in the list.

 

GENERAL SAFETY WARNING!

 

When handling suspected material (chemicals):

ü never taste or sniff suspected material;

ü keep away from sources of ignition and heat (e.g. motors, lighters, direct sunlight, hot plates);

 

ü wear safety goggles and suitable gloves;

ü handle the material at a well ventilated place;

 

ü take special care when transporting the material.

 

V. Roleplay this conversation.

 

Passenger: Are you going to examine my things?

 

Customs In a moment, sir. Meanwhile, can I ask you to look

Officer: through these lists, please.

 

Passenger: What lists?

 

Customs The Prohibited Articles list and the Duty-Free Quota

Officer: list. Here they are.

 

Passenger: Thank you.

 

Customs Do you have anything to declare, sir?

Officer:

 

Passenger: Nothing from the first list.

 

Customs Do you have any items above the fixed quota?

Officer:

 

Passenger: Well, I haven't got through the second list, you

know. They are both rather long.

 

Customs Will you please open your suitcases, sir?

Officer:

 

Passenger: Yes, of course, here you are.

 

Customs What are these things?

Officer:

 

Passenger: They are for my personal use.

 

Customs You have suits above the fixed quota, sir.

Officer:

 

Passenger: But they are not new.

 

Customs All the same. You will have to pay duty on this extra

Officer: one.

 

Passenger: Well, all right.

 

Customs Now, I see you have books.

Officer:

 

Passenger: Are they prohibited?

 

Customs They'll have to be looked through, sir. Can you put

Officer: them aside, please.

 

Passenger: What? Are you going to read them all?

 

Customs No, our interpreter will just skip through them.

Officer: That's all. Now, what are these things?

 

Passenger: Oh, just a few things for my family. Are they liable

to duty too? Am I liable to pay duty on them too?

 

Customs No, they are not. Well, the examination is over, sir.

Officer: You may pay the duty for the suit over there. When

you bring the receipt, I'll stamp your documents, sir.

 

VI. Speculate about the following.

 

1. Where admission, free of import duties and taxes, is claimed in respect of goods in a traveller's unaccompanied baggage, the Customs authorities may require proof that the person concerned is in fact arriving from abroad.

 

2. Non-residents who are only passing through the country are not allowed greater facilities.

 

3. Tents and other camping equipment are not considered to be personal effects.

 

4. The personal effects of non-residents cannot be granted temporary admission.

5. The Customs authorities should require a Customs document and security for the temporary admission of non-residents' means of transport for private use.

6. Fuel carried in the normal tanks of the means of transport shall be admitted free of import duties and taxes.

 

7. Travellers shall be permitted to export goods for commercial purposes, subject to compliance with the necessary formalities and payment of any export duties and taxes chargeable.

8. Transit passengers who do not leave the transit area are required to pass through the Customs control.

 

9. The proportion of consignments to be physically examined by Customs should be kept to a minimum.

10. Nothing creates delays and high costs in today's Customs procedures.

 

VII. Translate the following conversations into English.

 

	смотра	A
Таможенник:	Пр гоовье, пожалуйста, ваш багаж для до-
	.
Пассажир:	Мне показывать весь багаж?
Таможенник:	Да, таковы наши правила. Иногда пассажиры
	скрывают нелегально провозимые вещи в одеж-
	де, игрушках, книгах. Наша обязанность пре-
	дотвращать контрабанду. А это что такое?
Пассажир:	Это образцы тканей, которые я везу на вы-
	ставку.
Таможенник: У вас есть на них декларация?
Пассажир:	К сожалению, у меня только разрешение от
	моей фирмы.

 

Таможенник: В таком случае я вынужден задержать ваш багаж до тех пор, пока вы не предъявите декларацию.

 

B

 

Таможенник: У вас есть вещи, подлежащие декларированию?

 

Пассажир: У меня есть несколько предметов из золота, которые я везу в качестве подарка своим друзьям.

 

Таможенник: Согласно нашим таможенным правилам вы можете ввозить в нашу страну золотые изде-лия, но вы обязаны указать их в декларации.

 

Пассажир: Мне нужно платить на них пошлину?

 

Таможенник: Нет, если сто мость товара не превышает 1500 евро. Так м образом государство защи-щает свой ынок.

 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

 

I. Fill in the gaps with the English equivalents of the words in brackets.

 

Reference words: baggage; cargo; circumstances; Customs; Customs inspectors; differences; job; passenger; prohibited; revenue; situation; unaccompanied, procedures.

 

CARGO-PROCESSING

 

Usually when people think of (таможня) they think of (пассажир) processing. That is our public image. But most of the (доход) and the largest enforcement actions occur in (груз) processing.

 

(Таможенники) speak of «working cargo» as if it were a distinctly different (работа) from «clearing» (пассажиры). They are alike in the sense that we are actually only interested in the things being imported, whether it is (багаж) or (груз). They are also alike in the same

 

admissibility or dutiability of items: if an item is (запрещен) in (багаж) then it is (запрещен) in (груз); if it is free in (багаж) then it is also free in (груз). Nevertheless there are (различия). The major (различие) is that the things imported in (багаж) accompany а (пассажир), while all cargo is (несопровождаемый). It is brought into the country by a carrier. Some of the exemptions in passenger processing also apply in cargo situations, but others do not. Detailed (процедуры) will vary according to the (обстоятельства), but the fundamental patterns of (груз) processing are identical in every (ситуация).

 

II. Agree or disagree.