Customs officer
Check that people arriving at UK borders do not bring in or take out banned goods. Stop smuggling and illegal trade.
Also known as: detection officer

About the job
Salary (before tax)
Weekly (average)
£750
Monthly (average)
£3,000
Yearly (average)
£39,000
Salary figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland.
Source:
LMI for AllWhat it's like
You would check that people arriving at UK borders are not bringing in or taking out banned goods. You’d stop smuggling and illegal trade.
You’d also explain to people if they need to pay a charge to take certain items in or out of the country. You’d collect these customs duties and taxes so the rules are being applied fairly to everyone.
You would work in airports and seaports for UK Border Force.
You would:
Search luggage, vehicles and travellers
Check customs documents
Question people who have been found with illegal items or more goods than they are allowed
Arrest and charge people
Prepare reports and witness statements
You might take on specialist roles such as dog handling or undercover and surveillance work.
When necessary, you would go to court as a witness and would work closely with other agencies, like the police and the Home Office.
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Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- making decisions
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- questioning
- observation
- verbal communication
- listening
- cooperating

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