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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs - 07/2022

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..... nctionaries of the Customs Service whose visibility extends to the shipping lines, terminal operators, logistic partners, custom brokers, businessmen, crew members /passengers, etc. The Boarding Officer acts as an ambassador of our country and is expected to seamlessly initiate and conduct customs formalities and procedures. 2.2 Keeping the above as an objective, and continuing with various reforms undertaken by Customs through leveraging technology so as to improve transparency & ease of doing business, to present more professionally the role of the Boarding Officer, keeping scope for upfront evidence in case of an offence or likely offence, and enhancing the protection of interest of the Customs Officer against frivolous complaints, the Nhava Sheva and Ahmedabad Customs Zones, had implemented, since August 2022, the sporting of boarding jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) with video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officers while carrying out duties on board the vessels. Copies of the JNCH Standing Order No. 10/2022 dated 11.08.2022 and Ahmedabad Customs Zone Standing Order No. 03/2022 dated 12.08.2022, are enclosed for reference. 2.3 Based on the feedback received .....

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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs

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..... the case may be in accordance with the list provided by the master in selective manner and placing them under paper seal. i. also ascertaining that undeclared and prohibited goods have not been placed or secreted on board the Vessel by taking casual strolls around the deck, crew cabins etc. j. any discrepancies in quality or quantity in the stores of the vessel or the property of the crew are to be reported to the Asstt. / Dy. Commissioner (Preventive) through Superintendent as these anomalies attract penal provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. k. to regularly intimate the Rummaging Section of the Custom House about the arrival/departure of the vessels into/from the port / harbour. 3.2 The Boarding officer shall continue to follow instructions issued vide para 5 of Circular 25/2016 - Customs dated 23.08.2016 including the collection of feedback in the enclosed format. The Arrival Report would continue to be submitted as per prevalent practice till the full operationalization of the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations, 2018, after which the arrival report would be submitted electronically. 4. In addition to the above, the Boarding Officer shall ensure the following in re .....

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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs

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..... h the Mumbai II and Ahmedabad Customs Zone, respectively, for smooth and uniform implementation on 15.04.2023. 8. Necessary Standing Orders and Public Notices should be issued sufficiently in advance of 15.04.2023 by respective jurisdictions. Any difficulty faced, including by stakeholders, may also be brought to the notice of the Director Customs. 9. Hindi version follows. Yours faithfully, (Ananth Rathakrishnan) Director to the Government of India OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS (GENERAL) JAWAHARLAL NEHRU CUSTOM HOUSE, NHAVA SHEVA, TAL- URAN, DIST- RAIGAD, MAHARASHTRA - 400 707. F.No.S/43-150/2015CHSJNCH DATE 11.08.2022 STANDING ORDER NO. 10/2022- JNCH Subject: - Jacket with camera for use by the vessel Boarding Officer-pilot at JNCH- procedure -reg. Internationally, uniform jackets with equipment such as walkie talkie, night binoculars, body worn cameras (BWCs), searchlight caps, has found an increasing use by the law enforcement agencies for specific areas of work, as per the requirement. 2. The use of similar uniform jacket with equipment for Customs has been examined. It is felt that to begin with, this should be prescribed for use by the Boarding Officers at this port .....

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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs

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..... officer but also has the benefit of increased transparency, legitimacy and accountability for both the citizens and the Customs especially in light of enhanced scrutiny of such public interactions. 7. In this regard, the following procedure shall be followed by the boarding officers- (i) The boarding officer shall wear the jacket with their name and badges before boarding the vessel. The body worn camera shall be placed on the right side at a space specifically designed to hold the body camera. The camera shall be placed upright to capture the image of interaction with vessel’s crew and verification process clearly. (ii) The recording camera would be positioned in such a manner so that those watching the footage see the situation from the officer’s perspective. (iii) Officer shall activate their camera at the start of their boarding duty on approaching the gangway and make people aware that they are being recorded. The recording shall be continued uninterrupted until the officer, de-boards the vessel, and reaches back at the end of the gangway. (iv) At the end of the officer’s shift, the officer shall transfer the recorded data in an internal drive secured with p .....

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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs

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..... t importantly, the common man. Thus, the Boarding Officer has to act as an ambassador of the country and has to initiate customs formalities and procedure without causing any inconvenience to the trade. 4. As per their duties, the Boarding Officer shall board all the vessels on their first arrival in India and collect the Arrival Report consisting of General declaration, Vessel's stores list, Crew list, Private Property list of the members of the crew, a detailed list of embarking disembarking of the passengers/crew, list of same bottom cargo, vessel cargo, vessel's currency declaration, list of arms, ammunition and satellite phones, list of permissible dangerous drugs for the use of vessel or its crew, if any, etc., The Customs Officer shall verify Bond Stores and the Consumable Stores of the vessel with the declaration and shall put the items like liquor, cigarettes, tobacco, arms & ammunition and other sensitive items of the vessel and its crew, under the Customs seal. They shall carry checks of minimum 5% of the property in possession of the crew with their declaration and shall put the excess quantity, if any, under seal. 5. The performance of the above duties and .....

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Boarding functions – Improving transparency using boarding Jacket fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) having video/audio recording facility by Boarding Officer - Customs

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