Recent terror incidents in India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have thrown a challenge in the area of Customs administration in Asia-Pacific region, India said today and urged the nations to work in tandem to combat the menace.
Addressing the 20th Conference of the Regional Heads of Customs Administration, Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Pranab Kumar Das stressed on timely cooperation to tackle the threats posed by terrorism.
"The Customs Administration needs to work in tandem with other national and international security agencies to address terrorism," Das, who is also regional vice chair of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Asia/Pacific, said.
Spelling out the focus areas while presenting regional perspective of the WCO, he said the terror incidents in Afghanistan, India, New Zealand and more recently in Sri Lanka "have thrown a challenge and highlighted a pressing need for a greater co-operation and timely cooperation and considered efforts" for meeting such threats.
Concurring with India's views, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said the Asia/Pacific region has suffered due to terrorist attacks including that had happened in New Zealand and Sri Lanka recently.
He said terrorism and illicit trade are very important issues that have to be tackled