Once a Customs officer, always a Customs officer

We often talk about the Customs family. Once a Customs officer, always a Customs officer.

Customs officers protect and serve our borders 24/7 all weeks, months and years. Good weather, bad weather – it doesn’t matter. Customs is there by the border to protect and serve people, often in dangerous and challenging situations.

There is special bond between us. The profession, the job, is the same everywhere – in Brazil, United States, EU, China, India, Singapore, Australia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, UK, Chile, Uzbekistan or UAE – it doesn’ matter. We are all the same, doing the same thing.

Providing security and safety, supporting trade facilitation of medication and medical equipment during pandemic crises, managing trade that drive our economies, that creates jobs and erase poverty – collecting revenue collection that makes it possible to finance schools and health care. Fighting terrorism and organized cross-border crime. The normal day of customs officers.

I started my customs training in 1984 and I have been a proud customs officer in my heart since then. I have worked on all levels of Customs, nationally, regionally and globally.

In World Customs Organization I worked for 182 countries, visited almost all – and worked in more than 120 countries. I left the service in 2012, but I will always be a proud Customs officer with customs friends all over the world.

Today I am an International Customs and Border Expert providing advise to Governments and companies all around the world. I work woth 850 other customs and blrder experts in our company.

I want pay tribute to all the Customs officers out there at our borders. We sleep safe because they are there. We should think about them sometimes. On January 23rd it is the International Customs Day.

For me every day is a Customs Day.