Seoul, Aug 12 — The South Korean customs agency said on Wednesday it has agreed with its Indian counterpart to bolster cooperation in customs affairs and facilitate smoother trade between the two countries.
The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said it met with officials from India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs in New Delhi on Tuesday (Indian time), asking the Indian government to support smooth customs clearance for South Korean businesses, reports Yonhap news agency.
During the meeting, the KCS shared cases of South Korean firms based in India facing difficulties with customs-related issues, with the two sides also holding discussions on bilateral cooperation, including training programs.
"With India being a major partner in the Asia-Pacific region, the two countries intend to bolster cooperation down the road to address hurdles facing South Korean firms seeking to export to India," Han Min, director general for international affairs at the KCS, said in a release.
Meanwhile, customs agency last month it had seized 2.1 tons of drugs in a recent joint global operation with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
The achievement came after the Korea Customs Service joined forces with the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific under the World Customs Organization under the campaign slogan, "For a Drug-Free World."
During the two-month operation with 18 other countries from May to June, customs authorities seized 2.1 tons of drugs in 785 cases, far exceeding last year's operation, in which they seized 663 kilograms of illicit drugs in 235 cases. By category, the authorities seized 633.4 kg of methamphetamine, 368.8 kg of cannabis and 57.1 kg of cocaine.
The agency added it plans to strengthen cooperation with other international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Criminal Police Organization.