Jacket with camera for use by the vessel Boarding Officer-pilot at NCH-procedure

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----- Start of picture text -----<br> aKe& ONYe OFFICE OF THECUSTOMS PRINCIPAL(GENERSSSIONES OF a—<br>SSS NEW CUSTOM HOUSE, BALLARD ESTATE, Sia relera<br>LE MUMBAI - 400001<br> GEN/PSO/50/2023-PSO (ADMN) Date: 0%04.2023<br>----- End of picture text -----<br>

F.No. GEN/PSO/50/2023-PSO (ADMN)

PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 04 /2023-24

Subject: Jacket with camera for use by the vessel Boarding Officerpilot at NCH-procedure-reg.

1. Attention of all stake holders viz. Shipping lines, terminal operators, logistic partners, custom brokers, businessmen, Vessel owner/ Master etc. are invited towards the CBIC Circular no. 07/2022-Customs dated 07.03.2023, through which the Hon'ble Board has extended the use of boarding jackets fitted with Body Worn Camera (BWC) with video/audio recording facility by withBoarding respect Officersto the while sea customs carryingfunctions. out duties on board vessels from 15.04.2023 2. In the seaport, the Boarding officer is the first government official to deal with the foreign vessel on its first arrival to Indian ports and he/she has various responsibilities on his/her shoulders. The Boarding Officers are the face of Indian Customs at the ports. Crisp in their white uniforms, the first to set foot on any vessel entering the Indian frontiers, they are the cutting-edge functionaries of the Service whose visibility extends to the Shipping lines, terminal operators, logistic partners, custom brokers, businessmen and most importantly the common man. Thus, the boarding officer has to act as an ambassador of the country and has to initiate customs formalities and procedure without causing any inconvenience to the trade. 3. Keeping the above objective in mind and as prescribed by CBIC Circular No. 07/2022-Customs dated 07.03.2023, a Jacket Worn Camera for the Boarding Officers at this port is being made mandatory.

e. 3. Keeping the above objective in mind and as prescribed by CBIC Circular No. 07/2022-Customs dated 07.03.2023, a Jacket Worn Camera for the Boarding Officers at this port is being made mandatory. This will provide transparency, while carrying on physical checks on board and also provide evidence in case of an offence or Suspected offence. It will not only add to the visibility of the officer but also has the benefit of increased transparency, legitimacy and accountability for both the citizens and the Customs especially in light of enhanced scrutiny of such public interactions. onicersa In this regard, the following procedure shall be followed by the boarding

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• i i. The boarding officer shall Wear the jacket with their name and badges before boarding the vessel. The body worn camera shall be placed on7 right side at a Space specifically designed to hold the body camer, The camera shall be placed upright to capture the image of interaction with

• ii. vessel's crew and verification process clearly. The recording camera would be Positioned in such a manner so that those watching the footage see the situation from the officer's perspective.

• iii. | Officer shall activate their camera at the start of their boarding duty on approaching the gangway and make people aware that they are being recorded. The recording shall be continued uninterrupted until the

all activate their camera at the start of their boarding duty on approaching the gangway and make people aware that they are being recorded. The recording shall be continued uninterrupted until the

• iv. officer de-boards the vessel, and reaches back at the end of the gangway. To ease out any inconvenience to stakeholders, the Boarding Officer in advance shall inform the Shipping Agent/Line that the recording of boarding functions is mandatory. The Shipping Agent/Line, in turn, will inform the Master of Vessel for smooth completion of Boarding functions.

• v. The BWC used by Boarding Officer is a stand-alone device without WiFi or SIM functionality. If the Safety Officer of the Vessel carrying hazardous cargo opines that the usage of the BWC is not safe in certain areas inside the Vessel or entire Vessel, then the endorsement to that effect shall be taken from Safety Officer, and the Boarding Officer will not use BWC while in identified areas, if required. The Boarding Officer shall inform the Assistant/Deputy Commissioner (Boarding) who in turn will bring this to the notice of Joint/Additional Commissioner (Boarding) for independent cross - verification.

Any difficulty faced in implementation of this Public Notice may be brought to the notice of the undersigned. This issues with the approval of Competent Authority. Ow’Yoay [Mallinath K. Jeure] Additional Commissioner of Customs, Preventive General, NCH, Mumbai, Zone-I

Copy to: DC, EDI, NCH, Mumbai- for uploading on website of Mumbai Customs, Zone-I.