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Customs implements trade transparency unit program in customs to control money laundering

Ambassador Cason giving his remarks

03/20/07

The Director General of the National Customs Service, Margarita Diaz de Vivar, and the Ambassador of the United States, James C. Cason, have inaugurated the Trade Transparency Unit Program (TTU), a computer system with a software especially designed for the exchange of information between the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (former U.S. Customs Service) and the Paraguayan National Customs Service.

“With this initiative, Paraguayan authorities will be able to detect and investigate anomalies in international trade data, which may be indicative of trade-based money laundering or other criminal activities, such as drug trafficking or terrorism. I am very satisfied to be able to inaugurate this new phase of cooperation between the United States and Paraguay, which will benefit citizens of both countries,”  expressed Cason at the event.

Computers, printers, programs and equipment in general have an approximate value of about 150 million guaranies (US$ 30.000).  Cooperation also includes training and assistance once the National Customs Service starts using the new system. The total assistance package of the USG is of more than 500 million guaranies (US$ 100.000).

This program investigates and combats trade based money laundering. The TTU is a high efficiency technique unit that can monitor specific imports and exports to and from given countries to certify that the general description matches the corresponding records in order to combat international trade based money laundering.

The establishment of the TTUs is part of the initiative that is being implemented by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State and Treasury to establish, equip and operate TTUs in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. The program reinforces the continuous cooperation that exists between the United States and Paraguay to combat money laundering related activities.

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