August 1990                                                       

                                                               
                       POLICE PRACTICES:
                     CUSTOM'S BET PROGRAM 
                                                                  
     An effective interdiction effort requires the cooperation
of all law enforcement agencies.  To work toward this goal, the
U.S. Customs Service in New York developed a specific program--
the Border Envelope Team (BET)--to underscore a unified regional
approach to interdiction.  Customs personnel from both the
Office of Enforcement and the Office of Operations produce
multiple sources of intelligence to provide the most complete
information on border activity.
                                               
     The theory behind BET is that successful interdiction 
requires law enforcement to understand fully all entities working 
within the border environment.  Monitoring the actions of 
importers, brokers, airline personnel and others who transact 
business on the border is critical.  Once gathered, the 
information is made available to other law enforcement agencies 
on a routine basis.
                                               
     Through research, observation and analysis, BET gathers 
extensive data on the various entities operating on the border 
and identifies those areas (cargo, passenger, and conveyance) 
that pose the greatest threat.  The goal of BET is ultimately to 
produce profiles and patterns of operation that can determine 
potential areas of vulnerability.                         

Computer Systems                                                  

     The profiles and patterns developed are entered into two 
major computer systems.  The Treasury Enforcement Communication 
System (TECSII) is an automated enforcement and inspection 
support system that can create, maintain and retrieve 
information.  TECSII maintains information on wide-ranging 
subjects of interest to law enforcement, including the names of 
importers, brokers, aircraft, passenger and merchant vessels.  
The Automated Commercial System (ACS) is a comprehensive 
tracking, controlling and processing system of commercial cargo.  
It gives inspectors and agents the ability of on-line query of 
virtually the entire database.                                    

     Customs also maintains other, more specific, database 
systems.  The Private Aircraft Enforcement Tracking System, used 
primarily at airports, screens pilots, crew members and 
passengers on privately owned aircraft entering the United 
States.  The Exodus Seizure Database contains information 
extracted from high technology seizure reports in the New York 
region.  Other similar systems assist agencies in identifying 
individuals associated with terrorist organizations and also 
track child pornography seizures.                         

Response Team                                                    

     The Border Envelope Response Team (BERT), an extension of 
the BET concept, responds to all non-Customs seizures and  
arrests.  Nine agents and five analysts gather information that 
will assist Customs in its interdiction mission.  This team 
collects and reviews documents and records seized by other 
agencies to determine if there are potential international 
implications surrounding a case.  Data entered into the database 
systems can be used to identify criminal activity that crosses 
the border.                                                       

     The BERT Program has helped solve cases where cross-border 
transactions afforded the strongest evidence in proving criminal 
activity.  In one case, the New York State Police contacted BERT 
after a seizure of illegal fireworks.  The suspect was identified 
as an active importer, and alerts were placed in the Automated 
Commercial System.  In another case, agents of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration contacted BERT when a Chinese food 
importer was suspected of smuggling heroin with shipments of 
food.  With the assistance of Customs, DEA agents uncovered 99 
pounds of the drug hidden in a shipment of soy sauce.             

     A step forward has been taken in the exchange of 
intelligence among members of the law enforcement community.  
Through BET and BERT, the New York regional office of the Customs  
Service is attempting to create a more unified front against 
criminal activity involving the border.                           


____________

     Information for this column was contributed by Robert F. 
Fitton, Intelligence Research Specialist, U.S. Customs Service, 
New York Region.