The Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO AP), as the regional cooperation project under the framework of the World Customs Organization (WCO), serves as the focal point of intelligence analysis and liaison of enforcement cooperation with Member Customs administrations in the Asia and Pacific region.
RILO AP supports its member customs administrations by designing and implementing joint operations and intelligence projects, responding to requests for intelligence or operational supports, facilitating mutual administrative assistance, promoting regional cooperation among member customs administrations and with other law enforcement agencies and providing technical assistance.
Including RILO AP, WCO has set up a global network of RILOs, as information and intelligence exchange is one of the pillars of WCO.
As RILO CA(Central America)was newly established in 2021,the RILO Network currently comprises 12 offices covering the WCO’s six regions.
Each RILO is a regional center for collecting and analyzing data as well as disseminating information on trend, modus operandi, routes and significant seizure cases.
RILO AP has been coordinating a number of joint operations covering Asia and the Pacific region and other regions or even whole world to combat against illicit trade.
The major targets are Drug trafficking, Environmental risks such as trans-boundary movements of hazardous waste, endangered species and protected timber, Revenue risks including smuggling of highly taxed goods such as tobacco, Security risks and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and safety risks, etc.
RILO AP has been issuing periodical intelligence products and ad hoc analysis alerts.
Alert aims to provide an instant and urgent message on the emerging new smuggling trend such as trafficking routes, concealment methods and modus operandi for immediate responses at work places.
Annual report provides the summary of activities in the year. It includes major achievements of joint operations and intelligence projects, information exchange, CEN statistics and organized meetings for our Member Customs Administrations.
RILO AP has been coordinating a number of intelligence projects for providing intelligence exchange platform among member customs administrations in Asia and the Pacific Region.
Through the information exchange platforms, member customs administrations could notify other members for suspicious shipments and seizures instantly and directly by using a standard notification pro forma.
Various intelligence projects coordinated by RILO AP covered main enforcement areas of our customs duties including anti-narcotics smuggling, interception of trans-boundary movements of hazardous waste and revenue protection.
The Global RILO Network is supporting the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN) system which was developed by the WCO to share a global enforcement information and intelligence data and communicate among Member Customs Administrations.
RILO AP encourages Member Customs Administrations to fully utilize the CEN for their analytical use in identifying potential risks, threats and vulnerabilities in the field of Customs enforcement and validate regional seizures information being entered into the CEN and provide technical guidance and support on the practical use of the CEN.
RILO AP has been actively involved in a number of programs and discussions for regional and global cooperation and information exchange.
RILO AP facilitate mutual assistance among Member Customs Administrations and other international organizations by coordinating requests including organizing seminars, workshops and meetings for them.
RILO AP particularly organizes the National Contact Points (NCP) meeting where designated NCPs meet each year to share their experiences and strategies and to address emerging issues related to Customs enforcement. This meeting also provides an occasion to establish better cooperation amongst the NCPs.
RILO AP also attends relevant international meetings to promote the activities of RILO AP, to exchange views on Customs matters and to collect relevant information.
