The Gambia Revenue Authority GRA in partnership with the Regional Intelligence laison officer RILO under the world customs organization recently concluded a ten days regional meeting at the Senegambia Beach Hotel.
During this period the 23 members of the WCO-WCA gathered with the aim to combating the illicit trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical and other contraband products through the operations coordination unit OCU under the Regional Intelligence Liaison officer west and central Africa under the world customs organization.
According to GRA top officials, the said Authority was pleased to host Customs RILO regional liaison Intelligence officers of west and Central Africa WCA under the auspices of the World Customs Organization WCO in the Gambia FROM the 3rd to 12th February 2020.
The convergence in Banjul of the RILO has been to coordinate an operation codenamed CRIPHARM 5 across the west and central African block of the world customs organization WCO-WCA.
The operation is an annual event targeting trade in illicit and or irregular pharmaceutical products and has had tremendous success this year in the Gambia.
In his closing remarked the Commissioner General GRA Yankuba Darboe said the annual CRIPHARM Operations has been gaining momentum since its inception and the 5th Edition in Banjul has been the most successful so far.
He added that annually, seizures of contraband across the bloc are increasing impressively thanks to the admirable leadership RILO Directors of west and central Africa and other teams. They deserve our support encouragement.
The West and Central region continue to be challenges by organized cross border crimes especially on trade in poor quality foods, medicaments, cosmetic, cigarettes, alcohol and product whose inferior quality are detrimental to human consumption, whist consumption of counterfeit products presents huge public health risks to our population, business in these industries continue to thrive and the cartels continue to profit on our vulnerable population.
To this end, customs plays an indispensable role in the interception and disruption of nefarious enterprises in the smuggling and legitimate trade in counterfeit or inferior quality of products for the populations.
He went on to said the CRIHARM OPERATION are part of the response by WCO-WCA to address the problems of counterfeit products consumed by humans that pose long term risks to human health.
Therefore, the CRIHARM operation are a platform for analysis, information sharing and networking for the WCO-WCA region, and in realization of this goals, CRIPHARM has been a tremendous success.
CG Darboe also extends special facilitation to the Gambian team for their outstanding sensitization and coordination that resulted to record seizures the Gambia ever recorded to the WCO CENCOM PLATFORM. I WILL THEREFORE strongly encourage The Gambia customs to raise the bar higher in coordinating and sharing information both locally and internationally.
