Australian Customs ship docked in Darwin, Northern Territory

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is the Australian Federal Government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border, facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and goods, and collecting border related duties and taxes.

The Service employs nearly 6000 people around Australia and overseas and is headquartered in Canberra.

Protecting the Australian community by intercepting illegal and potentially harmful goods, such as drugs and weapons, is a high priority and sophisticated techniques and equipment are used to target high-risk aircraft, vessels, cargo, postal items and travellers[1]. This includes using intelligence, and computer-based profiling and analysis, Detector dogs, Smartgate, world leading container x-ray facilities, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring and other means.

In performing its role, Customs and Border Protection works closely with other government agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Department of Defence and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

Australia’s borders extend into the 200-nautical-mile (370 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where Customs and Border Protection also has a key role in addressing maritime threats through the Border Protection Command (BPC), a Customs and Department of Defence partnership. The Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit maintains a fleet of oceangoing patrol boats known as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) and contracts a fleet of long range aircraft, known as Coastwatch, as the basis for a civil maritime surveillance and response program managed by the BPC.

The Australian TV series Border Security: Australia's Front Line shows the daily work of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service at airports, sea borders and internal immigration breaches.

[edit] Weapons

Customs and Border Protection Officers use Glock pistols, M16 rifles, shotguns, personal body armour, batons, capsicum (OC) spray, and handcuffs. [2] [3]

In addition, Australian Customs Vessels are fitted with deck-mounted 7.62 mm FN Herstal MAG General Purpose Machine Guns. Some Customs Vessels are fitted with Browning M2 QCB .50 machine guns as well. [4]

[edit] External links

• Australian Customs and Border Protection Service
• Border Protection Command

[edit] References

• Protecting our borders
• A Week in the Life of Customs
• Arming of front-line Customs officers