Customs Surveillance Service
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Customs Surveillance Service Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera |
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| Common name | ADUANAS / CUSTOMS |
| Abbreviation | SVA also DAVA |
Patch of the Spanish Customs Service
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Badge of the Spanish Customs Service
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Ship racing stripe
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Flag of the Spanish Customs Service with the double crowned H, symbol of the Spanish Royal Treasury
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| Motto |
Por tierra, mar y aire Through land, sea and air |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | Reorganized on February 12, 1982, since the 16th century |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Employees | 2,000 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Spain |
| Governing body | Government of Spain |
| Constituting instruments |
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| General nature |
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| Specialist jurisdictions |
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| Operational structure | |
| Overviewed by | Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance |
| Headquarters | Madrid, Spain |
| Minister responsible | Cristóbal Montoro, Minister of Finance and Public Administrations |
| Agency executive | María Vicenta Abad Carrasco, Director-General |
| Parent agency | Agencia Tributaria |
| Website | |
| http://www.aeat.es | |
The Customs Surveillance Service (Spanish: Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera, SVA) is a Spanish law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving contraband, illegal drugs, financial evasion and violations, money laundering, surveillance for financial police purposes and the provision of judicial police services.
The origin of the service goes back to the creation of a paramilitary organization (called in Spanish Resguardo) to protect the monopoly of tobacco of the Tabacalera (the oldest tobacco company in the world), a Spanish tobacco monopoly which was established in 1636. The primary duty of the Resguardo was to protect the monopoly that the State exercised over the tobacco, combatting smuggling since its trade was one of the primary sources of funds of the Spanish Royal Treasury between the seventeenth and the 18th centuries.
Recent history of the service begins in 1944 with the creation of the Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Marítima y Terrestre de Tabacalera S.A. (Special Service of Maritime and Terrestrial Surveillance from Tabacalera) charged of preventing the tobacco contraband. In 1954 due to the ineffectiveness of the service its duties were assumed by the Spanish Treasury who reorganized the service and created the Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Fiscal (Special Service of Fiscal Surveillance), made up of military and civilian personnel, which assumed the task of fighting the contraband. In 1982 the service was reorganized under the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (Customs Surveillance Service) and its duties were broadened to include the investigation of economic crimes and the fight against illegal drugs, among other roles.
The most common duties of the SVA are regulated by the Royal Decree 319/1982 and the Organic Law against contraband 12/1995.
Those are the investigation, discovery and prosecution of contraband violations throughout the nation, territorial waters and airspace. The force also has powers conferred by the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) regarding economic crimes, including the fight against corruption, fraud investigation in foreign trade and money laundering, among other roles.
The SVA cooperates with international and European organizations such as the European Anti-Fraud Office, Europol or the World Customs Organization.
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Wikipedia