By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Nervous when entering the country from overseas and passing through customs? Does your heart pound from worry that you might get caught for buying duty-free goods worth more than the limit of $400?
Some people safely pass without declaring items worth thousands of dollars, while others are caught and charged customs tax.
The number of travelers entering Korea via Incheon International Airport is about 40,000 per day, of which 1.2 percent go through customs. About 0.2 percent of the travelers pay customs or get items confiscated. So is luck the main factor in getting caught? No.
Customs officials decide which travelers to examine after collecting detailed information about them. They check the frequency of the travelers' trips, occupations and the amount of cash they carry overseas. Those previously convicted of smuggling are also targets.
The customs office also knows the dates of big sales or jewelry exhibitions in each country. Those who bought duty-free goods worth more than the limit for several times are subject to inspection based on their shopping records.
Also, a team of customs officers called ``rovers'' pretends to be tourists. They mingle with travelers at the baggage claim area, listen to conversations, and pick suspicious travelers. About 40 rovers work every day at the airport, targeting those who look nervous, look around, blink too often, wear sunglasses or clothes out of season, or keep talking on cell phones.
``What's more important than monitoring suspicious behavior is intuition,'' a customs officer said.
The following people are also under heavier scrutiny ― those who hurriedly try to leave the airport without claiming baggage, as they could carry small but expensive items such as jewels and watches; couples accompanying children in non-vacation seasons; or newlyweds returning from their honeymoon.
Almost no one answers ``Yes'' to the question, ``Do you have anything to declare?'' Many people who bought duty-free items at Incheon when departing Korea tell customs officers that they gave the items to their relatives living in the country they visited, though they have fellow travelers take the items out of the airport after arrival.
``In that case, we require the relatives' phone number or address. Then almost all travelers fail to give such information. When we have no evidence but feel suspicious, we let them go and then follow them to see if they meet fellow tourists outside,'' the officer said.
When caught, travelers who admit wrongdoing immediately get leniency. The more passengers lie about violating customs, the heavier their fines get or they are put on the customs office's blacklist.
Officers also keep collecting information about new luxury brands. A new item on the watch list is wine, an item with a large range of prices that can far exceed the $400 limit.