Liberia: WCO Delegates Adopt New Measures to Strengthen Intelligence-Sharing, Combat Cross-Border Crimes

What the report says

Delegates from the World Customs Organization’s Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices for West and Central Africa have agreed on a package of measures to improve intelligence-sharing and customs cooperation against cross-border crime and illicit trafficking. The decisions were reached at the 17th Joint Annual Meeting of National Correspondents, held over five days from November 2 to 6, 2026, at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County, Liberia, according to the Liberian Observer report carried by AllAfrica.

The meeting brought together National Correspondents, customs officials and regional intelligence representatives to review operational challenges and identify ways to strengthen coordination. Among the main recommendations were faster sharing of intelligence, more joint training and operations, stronger national legal frameworks, better information management and targeting, and regular reviews of how intelligence work is being carried out.

Participants also stressed that intelligence should lead to concrete enforcement action, not just be collected and forwarded. The report says they urged customs administrations to support intelligence units with adequate resources, while also considering legal and transparent ways to fund these activities. Liberia-based customs officials used the meeting to call for stronger cooperation, ongoing capacity-building and regular reports on emerging threats and fraud trends.

The gathering matters because West and Central African customs agencies face increasingly complex smuggling and fraud networks that often cross borders. The delegates ended by reaffirming their commitment to turn the recommendations into practical steps through closer collaboration among national correspondents, the two RILOs, the WCO Secretariat and member customs administrations.