Towards the creation of a motorized brigade for customs surveillance on motorways

Thiès, July 4 (APS) – The Multipurpose Fraud Investigation and Suppression Group (GPR), based in Thiès (West), plans to create a motorized brigade that should allow Customs to better to adapt to the advent of highways, said his chief Lt. Col. Mamadou Dieng Sow.

The head of the GPR said, in an interview with the APS, that it is planned in the premises under construction of this structure with national competence, not far from the legion of gendarmerie of Thiès, a motorized brigade which will be directly attached to it.

"There was planned there a motorized brigade, a brigade cynophile. We thought that today with the advent of the toll motorways, customs control functions may be reduced, "said the lieutenant-colonel.

He stressed the need to provide" an answer "to this new situation where fluidity traffic, "the priority Toll Freeway ", prevents the establishment of checkpoints on these road infrastructures.

" The opening of Ila Touba is coming soon. If there is no control from Dakar to Touba, people can (convoy) drugs, fraud or weapons without being disturbed, "he said.

" That's why, we thought to create a motorized brigade that will be attached to the GPR "and which will be commanded by an adjutant with elements that will be" well-trained "to the driving of bikers and who will operate on these highways toll, a

According to him, this brigade which will be useful "if only for the deterrence", will be able to make targeting in case of suspicion, to follow the suspects and to control them at the level of the developed areas. this effect near the toll stations.

The Groupement is considering, in the medium term, the use of mobile scanners, after the deployment of this brigade.It is also planned to create, in its new premises, a group dog with sniffer dogs who will be trained to detect drugs or weapons, aa Lieutenant-Colonel Sow added:

A shelter is planned in this new building for these animals, which can also be used at the Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) whenever needed.

"La motorized brigade and the dog group are taken into account by the authority to allow the BPR to better fulfill its missions ", said the lieutenant-colonel.

They will be added to the two polyvalent brigades at the disposal of the GPR, who will move "as soon as possible" to a new building not far from the gendarmerie legion on a plot of 2500 square meters.

This is an old public works house which has been assigned to the Customs, with the support of the governor.

The project that started in May 2017 "is very advanced," he said, pointing out that the fight against drugs "is part of (the) weak link "of the GPR, faced with the difficulty of ob keep information

"The fight against drugs is part of our weak link. Our problem is intelligence. Often, it is informers who give us information and sometimes blackmail, "he lamented.

According to him, the customs administration," if it really wants to be effective , set up a special intelligence fund, to motivate the informants ", given the" lack of collaboration "on the part of the population.

" No one gives the information for free ", argues, before advocate the relocation of intelligence to the direction of operations with agents trained in this field who could be posted abroad to provide bulletins in terms of both fraud and trafficking.

Otherwise, any reform in this area that "does not integrate intelligence is doomed to failure," he declared.