Munich Security Conference considers illicit trade by transnational organized crime syndicates as a border security issue

18 February 2019

WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya attended the Munich Security Conference held on 16 February 2019 in Munich, Germany, to share Customs’ efforts in addressing the challenges posed by the illicit movements of goods and currency from a border security perspective.

Senior policymakers, including Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs as well as some Heads of State, Heads of Government and Heads of International Organizations, gathered in Munich to engage in an intensive debate on current and future security challenges.  The Conference picked up on illicit trade along with the weapons trade and artificial intelligence as emerging issues in relation to security concerns.

Secretary General Mikuriya described today’s three ‘hotspots’ for illicit trade, namely e-commerce, free trade zones and conflict zones, and underscored the solutions suggested by the WCO that can assist Customs in tackling these challenges.

The Conference is expected to conduct further research and seek solutions to security challenges.


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