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The flow of trade and passengers in and out of Dubai has increased dramatically over the past decades. Accordingly, the volume of border and customs transactions has risen to record levels leading to more sea, air and inland customs centers opening and expanding across the emirate. There was, therefore, a growing need to maintain strict and effective control over all customs points of entry. Hence the first customs control room in the region was established in 2007 at Dubai Customs headquarters.
Today, the control room is equipped with fully integrated, technologically advanced systems allowing real-time tracking of vessels, flights, containers and x-ray images of container content.
The control room operates around the clock, monitoring 500 CCTV cameras at 25 customs checkpoints in Dubai that stream live footage to the central monitors. The number of cameras is scheduled to be increased to 1700 by the end of this year.
As many as 23 customs and security programmes are used to help inspectors follow-up on inspection operations, trace illicit or suspicious shipments, inquire on containers, receive calls and enquiries from customs centers, and issue security alerts to different entry and exit points. The control room received 23,120 calls in 2016, up from 21,963 calls in 2015.
The control room helps monitor cases of suspicion, potential violations, irregularities, or incompliance. It diligently watches over trucks’ movement from handling yards to customs inspection facilities. In 2016, the room’s record-enabled CCTV cameras caught 108 irregular incidents, compared to 57 cases in 2015.
Affiliated with the Customs Intelligence Unit, the control room functions as the communications centre for all Dubai Customs operations. It is responsible for receiving and issuing security warnings as well as reports and complaints about illegitimate border activities. It coordinates with concerned authorities and security bodies to take necessary actions on a timely basis.
“The control room of Dubai Customs constitutes a key pillar of customs work in the emirate of Dubai,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs.
It is such an integrated system that connects and supports all customs points and field teams to ensure a seamless and risk-free flow of cargo and people, thus safeguarding not only the security and stability of society but also the economy, he added.
The control room is stuffed by top recruits of highly trained customs officers and serves as the link between Dubai Customs and other national and international security agencies, playing a key role in customs-related emergency and crisis management, explained Musabih.
"The control room, being linked with 500 cameras, ensures twenty-four-hour monitoring of passenger and cargo inspection works across all customs centers and border crossings,” he noted.
“Our control room is equipped with Interpol’s security system which allows daily search and screening of vehicles and heavy equipment imported into Dubai, to verify the validity of their documents and their legitimacy. Through this sophisticated system, the control room’s staffers processed 2.3 million searches and inquiries in 2016. About 10,000 light and heavy duty vehicles are brought in to Dubai daily via different customs entry points,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih.
The Dubai Customs’ internationally and regionally acclaimed control facility is also connected with a global ship tracking intelligence system, enabling it to monitor marine traffic and dissuade any suspected container or vehicle aboard a Dubai-bound vessel.
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