Customs (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Customs is a six-part Irish
documentary
television series
that examines the role of customs officer
s, focusing on their daily lives and their regular encounters with the illegal drug trade
and other difficult situations. It is the first time such a filming sequence has been carried out. The series was originally broadcast in editions of 30 minutes each on RTÉ One
at 19:30 on Sunday evenings. The first episode aired on 14 September 2008.
The makers of the series gained unprecedented access to the daily operations of Ireland's customs officers, allowing viewers to see first hand the way the authorities deal with the increasing level of illegal materials and substances being imported. For example, the first episode featured a suspicious passenger making haste for a nearby exit, a live snake
found in luggage at Dublin Port
, an undercover operation that halted a cigarette
smuggling
scam
at Dublin Airport
and the customs anti-evasion
unit chasing down UK
registered cars in Cork
. A spoksperson for the show was quoted as saying:
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that examines the role of customs officer
Customs officer
A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government.-Hong Kong:4 931 posts, of which nine are directorate officers, 3 804 are members of the Customs and Excise Department, 504 are Trade Controls Officers and 614 are staff of the General and Common...
s, focusing on their daily lives and their regular encounters with the illegal drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
and other difficult situations. It is the first time such a filming sequence has been carried out. The series was originally broadcast in editions of 30 minutes each on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
at 19:30 on Sunday evenings. The first episode aired on 14 September 2008.
The makers of the series gained unprecedented access to the daily operations of Ireland's customs officers, allowing viewers to see first hand the way the authorities deal with the increasing level of illegal materials and substances being imported. For example, the first episode featured a suspicious passenger making haste for a nearby exit, a live snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
found in luggage at Dublin Port
Dublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
, an undercover operation that halted a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
scam
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
at Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and the customs anti-evasion
Evasion (law)
In law, the Doctrine of Evasion is a fundamental public policy. Whereas a person may legitimately plan his or her affairs so as to avoid the incidence of obligations or liabilities imposed by the law, no-one is allowed to evade the operation of otherwise mandatory provisions once duties and...
unit chasing down UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
registered cars in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. A spoksperson for the show was quoted as saying:
"They find shipments of drugs in the strangest places: a doll's house; picture frames; the bottom of a massive cargo ship. Large quantities of money, cigarettes and cars are regularly seized, as well as a myriad of other illegal goods and substances."
Episodes
There were six episodes in the series. These were broadcast between 14 September and 19 October 2008.| Date of broadcast | Link |
| 14 September 2008 | |
| 21 September 2008 | |
| 28 September 2008 | |
| 5 October 2008 | |
| 12 October 2008 | |
| 19 October 2008 | |