News item | 20-10-2023 | 07:09
State Secretary Aukje de Vries of Finance (Benefits and Customs) and Vice Minister Carlos Larrea of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador signed a customs treaty in the Ecuadorian capital Quito. The treaty must make an important contribution to the fight against drug trafficking. The treaty allows the customs services of both countries to exchange information, which is necessary to tackle drug smuggling. In addition, the countries can assist each other in customs matters, for example when it comes to training and advice.
State Secretary De Vries: “The Netherlands and Ecuador are both countries through which many goods are transported. Unfortunately, this also makes both countries vulnerable to debilitating crime. In the Netherlands, a journalist and a lawyer have been killed, attacks are taking place in residential areas and criminals are making the countryside unsafe with their drug labs. In Ecuador, a presidential candidate has been murdered, shootings are taking place and people are suffering from gang violence. Both countries are therefore committed to putting a stop to drug trafficking. This treaty is an important step in that direction.”
Dutch Customs sees that more and more drugs are coming from South America. According to Customs, Ecuador is mainly used as a transit country for cocaine from other countries. Because criminal networks behind this type of smuggling operate in an advanced manner, it is crucial to join forces internationally. The agreements in the treaty help to tackle drug smuggling at the source.
Unfortunately, drug networks are adept at finding new avenues for their trafficking. That is why it is only possible through collaboration to cut them off and directly affect their revenue model. Cooperation between countries is important, but countries still encounter obstacles due to outdated regulations. We want to remove these obstacles, for example by concluding these types of treaties.
The treaty ensures that customs services can exchange new methods used by smugglers with each other. If Dutch customs notice that drugs are often placed in a container with the cargo just before departure, they can share this with the Ecuadorian authorities. This way we can deal with this more effectively. The treaty also makes it possible for Dutch customs officers to train and educate Ecuadorian customs officers, and vice versa.
Now that the treaty has been signed, the parliaments in the Netherlands and Ecuador must approve the treaty before it can enter into force. The Netherlands already has a customs treaty with a total of 38 countries.