Caribbean, Central America to step up smuggling fight

(De Ware Tijd) PANAMA CITY — Together with other countries in the region, Suriname is going to form a pact against illegal trade. Wednesday, 16 countries from Central America and the Caribbean signed a declaration of intent to force back the smuggling of contraband. August van Hamme, head of the Surinamese Customs department, signed the document on behalf of Suriname. Exchange of data and transfer of expertise to distinguish original goods from copies have to be the most important issues of this pact. Van Hamme thinks Suriname should certainly make use of Panama’s expertise.