In the port of Sète, the PAF and customs ensure control of a small part of the European border

Dans la journée, ce sont plus de 4 000 personnes qui ont été contrôlées par la douane et la PAF dans le port de Sète. Midi Libre – Thomas Ancona-Léger

Working in synergy, the border police and customs services are facing a constant increase in traffic in the port of Sète, particularly at the Orsetti ferry terminal.

Hot day for the border police (PAF) and customs in the port of Sète. In every sense of the word, since it was under a blazing sun that the agents carried out checks on some 4,000 passengers passing through the Orsetti ferry terminal this Tuesday morning. "One of the busiest days of the year", said Olivier Harguindeguy, head of Sipaf 34, the interdepartmental police service in borders, which required "good coordination with shipping companies".

130,000 counterfeits in 2023

In the presence of the Prefect of Hérault François-Xavier Lauch and the Regional Director of Customs Yves Luck, the agents of the various services presented the control system for boarding a ferry bound for Algeria. This consists of three separate lines, which begin with a customs check of all vehicles. “What we are trying to find out is whether passengers are carrying more than 10,000 euros in cash and whether their vehicle is intended for export”, confides one of the customs officers. In 2023, as far as capital is concerned, nearly three million euros were either confiscated or subject to a penalty in the port of Sète. On the arrival and import side, it is particularly textile goods from Turkey that are scrutinized by customs officers, who seized 130,000 counterfeits last year. Similarly, tobacco trafficking, including around three tonnes, was seized in 2023.

A European border

The second line is provided by the border police. It starts at the aubettes, these small kiosks where the passport control posts are set up. In the sentry box, we find the border guards, these contract workers who come to help the PAF in their work. Since 2023, there have been around ten of them in the port of Sète cross-checking identities with the various police, justice and even European files. “In Sète, we have a European border. We are also regularly audited by the community authorities to see if we comply with the rules in terms of control”, explains Olivier Harguindeguy.

Every week, between 50 and 60 individuals who are the subject of files, mostly judicial, are identified by the PAF services. In some cases, they end up in the third line of control made up of specialized agents who are particularly trained to detect false documents. “These border posts are extremely important for the administrative authority because they allow everyone to be controlled by right”, the prefect finally wanted to point out, pointing out the growing challenge facing the agents of the Sète port, faced with a constant increase in the number of travelers.

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