IRELAND and the US have signed an agreement which will strengthen their joint fight against drugs smuggling and commercial fraud.
A Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) was signed yesterday in the Department of Foreign Affairs which will assist the two countries in the prevention, investigation and repression of customs offences.
The agreement provides a basis for co operation and investigation in commercial fraud, narcotics smuggling and export control and will benefit the customs administrations of Ireland and the US by enhancing their abilities to enforce customs laws.
The US ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, Mr George Weise, US Customs Commissioner, and Mr Dermot Quigley, Revenue Commissioner, signed the agreement.
Mrs Kennedy Smith said the agreement would give them a "new tool" to stop drug trafficking, smuggling and trade fraud. She said US domestic laws, and most foreign laws, did not permit disclosure of much information in the absence of a formal agreement or treaty. The CMAA would allow US customs to exchange information, intelligence and other assistance.
Mr Quigley said that Irish Customs regarded the signing of the agreement as "an important milestone". International co operation and exchange of intelligence were essential weapons in the ongoing battle against fraud and, in particular, against the scourge of illegal drugs.
"Through this agreement Irish Customs will be able to tap into the vast experience of the US in this whole area. We will have a major new ally with whom to work.
While this is the first bilateral customs agreement by Ireland, the State is already party to a number of multilateral customs co operation agreements between the member states of the EU. As part of Ireland's membership of the World Customs Organisation, the State has signed and ratified an international agreement which allows for exchange of information on drug trafficking with the Customs administrations of other contracting parties to that agreement.
At the signing ceremony yesterday, it was pointed out that the value of these agreements had been shown through a number of significant seizures of smuggled goods, including a number of the bigger drugs seizures, made by the Irish Customs on information received under these agreements.
Mr Weise said there had always been good co operation between the two countries and this agreement would formalise and improve the situation even more. He complimented Irish customs on the recent large seizure of cocaine.