US border security experts visit Port of Kaohsiung

2017/12/19

A delegation of U.S. experts in anti-terrorism, border security and fraud prevention visited the Port of Kaohsiung Dec. 14 in southern Taiwan, highlighting the close collaboration between the two sides on tackling transnational crime, according to the Ministry of Finance.
 
 Led by Rand Beers, former acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the nine-member group was in Taiwan for updates on the implementation of the Container Security Initiative and Megaports Initiative at the harbor. They also visited a container terminal to witness firsthand the operations of an inspection station.
 
 According to the MOF, since Taiwan joined the two initiatives in 2005 and 2006, respectively, port authorities have solved several cases involving counterfeit U.S. dollar bills and the smuggling of cigarettes and ephedrine.
 
 After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, officials also successfully detected dozens of containers from Japan contaminated by radioactive materials and stopped them from entering the country.
 
 The U.S. experts were impressed by efforts in implementing the two initiatives and expressed their appreciation for Taiwan’s contributions in the global fight against terrorism, the MOF said.
 
 Developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the CSI aims to prevent smuggling of weapons of mass destruction in cargo containers. A total of 58 ports outside the U.S. have joined the program as of February 2014.
 
 Established by the U.S. government under the auspices of the Department of Energy in 2003, the Megaports program seeks to thwart the trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials at the world’s largest ports. Taiwan joined the initiative in 2006, with the U.S. DOE having invested nearly US$55 million in the project locally so far.
 
 In September 2013, the Customs Administration under the MOF assumed responsibility for the Taiwan Megaports program, checking inbound and outbound containers, including those destined for the U.S., for nuclear and radiological threats.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2&post=126688)