Services rendered by the Customs Officers

In the course of interviewing the themes concerning the Kunichina Gora checkpoint customs personnel were considered in comparison to the border guard personnel.

There were no particular differences identified in the attitude to pedestrians on the part of border guards and customs staff. The practice is the proper and correct treatment by customs personnel of the pedestrians crossing the border: “if you carry a bag, he asked you a question, you opened it, there is nothing in it, and you may go”.

In the event the checkpoint is passed through by car, a certain difference between the border guard and the customs approaches does show. This is so primarily because for the border guards the person crossing the border is the actual object of scrutiny, whereas for the customs staff it is what this person is bringing along as baggage. When the traveler crosses the border by car, the object of scrutiny for the customs becomes much larger. This, naturally, leads to the increase in time costs of traveler-customs officer communication. “Speaking of cars, which may be carrying contraband, they do scrutinize cars more thoroughly, hence the longer times for cars crossing.”

It was noted that there is a category of persons crossing the border who are not inspected by the customs at all. This category’s representatives just present their ID’s, and no inspection takes place. Obviously, the persons in question are diplomats.

The customs control procedure comprises a number of questions, and in the event suspicions arise – inspection of belongings and body. And yet the procedures for pedestrians and bus passengers differ. In case with a bus trip, several scenarios may take course.

The most tiresome method from the point of view of the traveler is when all passengers have to produce their things from the bus for inspection. In such case, a customs officer gets on the bus and suggests that all passengers exit with their baggage. Then all the baggage is scanned. As some respondents noted, this procedure can get long: after the belongings are x-rayed, the passengers may yet have to wait another 15-20 minutes, while the staff checks the bus.

Another option of the customs check of a bus is selective. An officer gets on the bus and visually assesses the passengers. Alongside, the assessment criteria are only known to the customs personnel and are not disclosed. If any of the passengers possesses certain attributes, the officer suggests that this passenger demonstrates the contents of his/her bags.

The traveler passing through the checkpoint on foot, according to the respondents, is usually subjected to an accelerated procedure: the traveler does not need to come inside, the customs officer asks whether there are any things the passenger should declare, and sometimes asks the traveler to open the bag.

If a person crosses the border by car, his motor vehicle may be thoroughly scrutinized. This may comprise inspection of the floor-pan with a special mirror, of the passenger compartment and of baggage.

Questions to any traveler concern currency carried and its sum, as well as willingness of the traveler to declare money or goods.

None of the interviewees had experience of body search at the Kunichina Gora checkpoint. Only one of the respondents had such experience at all, when crossing the Russian-Finnish border by train in Vyborg. In his words, the reason for the search was the large sum of money he had not declared.

Among other, at the customs checkpoint cases of violation of elementary labor discipline take place: “You’re standing next to this booth, and they can’t put that stamp on. Once I missed the bus, because I was waiting for a customs employee for 20 minutes. What she was up to all that time – I have no idea. If she’s the only one here, she needs to be back quickly, otherwise there should be a sub”.

Attitude of Customs Officers towards EU and non EU citizens

Several times the opinion was voiced that there is no difference in attitudes of customs officers to various citizens. At least, such differences are not apparent. On the other hand, there were other opinions too. The brightest experience on the issue was that of the respondent who regularly passes through the Kunichina Gora checkpoint by car. This respondent is an Estonian citizen, but he runs his business in Russia. His frequent trips allow introducing substantial reprimands as regards the RF border guard service. The respondent himself took part in bribing an officer. The monetary ‘gift’ turned out to be inevitable when transporting a large item for the respondent’s business routine. The customs officer stated that items of that size might not be brought across the state border. After that the respondent followed the customs officer inside, where the bribe was given to the officer. Upon this, the respondent was allowed to proceed with the item.

Personal qualification of Customs Officers

The travelers who took part in the interview evaluate customs officers’ qualification as equal to that of the border guards. They are fairly confident in performing their duties, but are ‘not much hasty’. One of the respondents mentioned that foreign language command of customs officers is better than of border guards: “It [languages] are more required with the customs staff, since part of the documents on cargo and on motor vehicles they view is in national languages also. And, say, a discrepancy of a phrase in the national and the English languages, which is compulsory as a dubbing, is a reason for inspection too, like to check accordance. So they have to master them better than those border guys”.

Behaviour of Customs Officers during customs clearance

Some respondents mentioned that customs officers’ attitude to a person crossing the border in most cases depends on that person. “I think, 90% of cases they are guided by the person. If the person is nervous, or inadequate, or dressed strangely for the season: say, it’s hot, and he’s in some woolen long-sleeves. I guess, 90% of all cases depend on human factors. And that’s global practice, because you can lock the whole perimeter with smart equipment and all, but the human factor will still be determining”.

One of the respondents also voiced an opinion that very often behavior of the people crossing violates all accepted norms, and the checkpoint’s employees, from the point of view of ethics, could take corresponding measures, but they don’t do that simply because it is not allowed by the rules. “There are always people who talk to female border guards or customs officers as to girls. I saw it many times, when these officers, swallowing their fury, replied politely letting them know, like, ‘hey man, this exaggerated attention is unpleasant’. <...> If I were that border guard, I’d ask my colleagues to delay the young man for a half hour and give him a talk”.

Cooperation and relations of the Border Guard and the Customs Officers

Unfortunately, we did not manage to have interviews with the personnel of the border guard and customs services of the Kunichina Gora border-crossing point. Therefore, the interaction of these services may be assessed only externally, through the words of the travelers.

The border guards and the customs officers have different spheres of responsibility, but they work at the same site. The regime at the checkpoint and activities within the regime, e.g. inspection, is the competence of the border guards. Besides, according to one expert, only the border guards have the right to use weapons. Thus, under certain circumstances – should they arise – the customs officers may not act without the support of the border guards.