The future of Guernsey Customs and Immigration to be discussed
Saturday 05 September 2009
The eighth Institute of Director’s lunch meeting for 2009, sees Rob Prow, Chief Officer of the Customs and Immigration Service, speak about financial crime and the future of the Customs and Excise, Immigration and Nationality Service as it transforms to become an independent Agency to be known as the Guernsey Border Agency. The event, which will be held at 12.15pm at Moore’s hotel on Friday 18th September, is sponsored by Offshore International Group, Guernsey’s most progressive advertising and marketing agency.
Rob Prow is never far from the public eye in his role as Chief Officer of Customs and Immigration, and will be celebrating his 40th year at Customs this September.
Mr Prow will discuss how the growth of the finance sector has required the Bailiwick to ensure that its reputation as a successful, well regulated offshore finance centre is upheld by providing robust professional law enforcement services to prevent and tackle any illegal activity. The Service’s operations support the Bailiwick's governmental policies to combat the potential for criminality that such expansion brings, with the prevention and detection of money laundering in the islands being a priority.
Mr Prow will also be touching on the future changes being made to the structure of the Customs and Immigration Service, which will transform into an independent agency to be known as the Guernsey Border Agency, which will incorporate the joint Police/Customs Financial Intelligence Service.
He will explain how the work of the Customs and Immigration Service has changed dramatically evolving from a service focused on revenue collection to that of a professional law enforcement service dealing with cross-border crime including Drug Trafficking and Identity Fraud.
The Service now targets top-end criminals using intelligence led covert operations that have become highly specialised. It is recognised, locally and internationally, that combating international organised crime and effective border controls are inextricably linked. There is a need to develop this area of work to extend covert investigation techniques to identify individuals of interest beyond the present drug trafficking successes, to encompass financial crime, the funding of terrorism, and combat other assigned serious and immigration crime.
The creation of the new Guernsey Border Agency which will include a Cross Border Crime Division will allow a focused, dedicated resource to effectively and efficiently combat international cross border crime.
“Customs has historically worked in conjunction with the Guernsey Police. Working in partnership in this way, and having combined resources has been a great success, particularly in the financial crime area. However, Customs is now developing its independence and will shortly transform into an executive Agency, to be known as the Guernsey Border Agency with a large focus on strengthening and developing the FIS (Financial Intelligence Service). Our capability within the FIS, which includes seconded Police Officers, has been central to all financial crime capacity in the past” commented Mr Prow.
Places at the IoD lunch are going fast. If you would like to attend the event at 12.15pm at Moores Hotel, please contact Shirley Horsepool today on 746079 or email iod@bdogsy.com .