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Number of drug seizures increased
The number of drug seizures has increased significantly. Norwegian Customs and Excise reports a change in smuggling patterns and a trend of smaller amounts of drugs in each seizure. As a result of the border inspections in 2013, the agency made 3 905 drug seizures; an increase of 32 per cent from 2012.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Change in per cent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 - 2013 | ||||
| Input | ||||
| Own production (mill. NOK) | 1 516 | 1 544 | 1 649 | 6.8 |
| Contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves | 1 742 | 1 739 | 1 736 | -0.2 |
| Activities and services | ||||
| Number of border inspections | 215 837 | 216 947 | 212 385 | -2.1 |
| Checks of excise duty declarations | 558 | 557 | 558 | 0.2 |
| Post-clearance audits | 1 561 | 1 445 | 1 400 | -3.1 |
| Checks of declared goods | 174 877 | 177 086 | 145 922 | -17.6 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Hits in per cent of border inspections | 11.7 | 12.1 | 12.5 | . |
| Seized amount | ||||
| Heroin (gram) | 11 303 | 35 840 | 35 225 | -1.7 |
| Cigarettes (1000 stk) | 9 062 | 10 150 | 8 903 | -12.3 |
| Alcoholic beverages (litres) | 528 983 | 506 619 | 495 069 | -2.3 |
| Uncovered witheld customs and excise duties (mill. NOK) | 673 | 1 082 | 836 | -22.8 |
| Collected taxes (mill. NOK) | 204 256 | 210 077 | 212 205 | 1.0 |
A large part is due to more frequent use and importation of new synthetic narcotics, but drug seizures of traditional types of narcotics have also increased. Customs reports a change in smuggling patterns, with more smuggling attempts and smaller volumes. They say that one possible explanation is that smugglers want to spread the risk, and that there is also an increase in online ordering of relatively small doses of drugs delivered by post.
Measured in volume, the seizure of different types of drugs varies from year to year, with large single seizures affecting the results. Compared with 2012, there was a large increase in cocaine, amphetamine and khat. Seized amounts of heroin were at the same level as in 2012, while cannabis went down.
Border inspections revealed 785 serious contraventions
Customs conducted nearly 48 000 border inspections of goods in 2013, compared with 46 650 in 2012.
The share of inspections revealing attempted smuggling has increased in recent years, and compared with 2012 the detection rate went up from 6.7 per cent to 8.0 per cent.
The number of inspections of travellers and means of transport rose each year in the period from 2005-2012, but in 2013 the number went down. A total of 124 450 controls of travellers were conducted in 2013, compared to over 128 000 in 2012. The detection rate was 13.4 per cent; the same level as in 2012. The number of inspections of means of transport was nearly 40 000, which was 2 000 fewer than in 2012. The share of inspections revealing illegal imports and exports rose by 0.7 percentage points from 2012 to 14.8 per cent in 2013.
As a result of the border inspections, 8 007 cases were reported to the police; 785 of which were considered serious contraventions. Compared with previous years, the number of cases filed to the police has increased significantly, with 1 118 more than in 2012. This is due to the growth in the number of drug seizures. Since there is a smaller amount of drugs in each seizure, the number of uncovered serious contraventions has not increased to the same extent, but went up from 750 cases in 2012 and 762 cases in 2011.
Financial audits uncovered withheld duties totalling NOK 836 million
In order to ensure proper declaration of custom and excise duties, customs carries out different types of financial audits. In 2013, post-clearance audits, checks of declared goods and excise duty declarations uncovered withheld taxes totalling nearly NOK 836 million. Corrections from checks of declared goods were higher than previous years, while corrections from post-clearance audits went down. Overall, corrections decreased by NOK 247 million compared to 2012, where one single case totalling NOK 200 million had a major impact. Compared with the period from 2005-2011, uncovered withheld duties increased. As a result, 185 serious contraventions were revealed and 28 of the most serious offences were reported to the police.
More than 169 300 declarations were inspected in 2013, compared with 177 000 in 2012. The detection rate as a percentage of inspections went up 3 percentage points from 2012 and ended at 36.2 per cent.
As in 2012, the number of post-clearance audits went down. A total of 1 400 inspections were carried out in 2013, compared with 1 445 in 2012. Last year, 71.3 per cent of the audits revealed errors, and compared with 2012 the detection rate went down 2.4 percentage points.
In addition, customs performed post-clearance audits. As in 2012 and 2011, almost 560 audits were conducted. A total of 41.8 per cent revealed violations, and compared with 2012 the detection rate went down 3.7 percentage points.
Arrears totalling NOK 633 million
Customs collected taxes totalling NOK 212 billion in 2013. The results from tax collection show that arrears totalled NOK 326 million; somewhat lower than the NOK 345 million in 2012, but higher than in the period 2009-2011.
Number of man-years at the same level as in 2012 and 2011
The number of contracted man-years adjusted for long-term leave was 1 736 in 2013. The number of man-years increased in the period 2005-2011, but was slightly down by 3 man-years in 2012 and 2013. Own production, defined as the sum of compensation of employees and use of goods and services, amounted to NOK 1 649 million; an increase of 6.8 per cent from 2012.
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