The value of goods seized by customs patrols, from the onset of 2023 to November, reached 463 million dinars (MD), said Spokesperson for the General Directorate Customs, Colonel Major Chokri Jabri. The goods seized mainly include ready-to-wear, tobacco and narcotics, he added during a round table on the «shadow economy», held on the closing of the works of the Business Days (December 7, 8 and 9, 2023, in Sousse). «Over 2 million narcotics tablets, around 500 kg of cannabis and more than 302 kg of cocaine were confiscated by the various customs teams operating at land, air and sea border crossings, as well as by customs guard units and the teams reporting to the Customs Investigations Directorate,» he pointed out. Jabri stated that the customs office purchased, in 2023, equipment and devices, facilitating the detection of counterfeit goods, and supplied officers with 4x4 cars so that they could carry out their missions at best when combating smuggling. Partnership agreements were signed with partners from the security sectors, the national guard and the tax control department with the aim of ensuring an exchange of experiences between the different bodies in the area combating smuggling. Jabri underlined that Tunisian customs will consolidate, in 2024, its digital services, by launching electronic conciliation, which will allow the citizen to file a conciliation request, receive the response electronically, as well as pay taxes and fines remotely. He also announced that the new Customs Information System «SINDA 2» will come into force at the end of 2025, recalling that this system will make it possible to digitize all customs procedures and transactions carried out with the different bodies. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse