{{Short description|Law enforcement agency of the Spanish Ministry of Finance}} {{Infobox law enforcement agency |agencyname = Customs Surveillance Service |nativename = {{lang|es|Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera}} |commonname = ''Aduanas'' (Customs) |abbreviation = '''SVA''' or '''DAVA''' |logo = Emblem of Spanish Customs Surveillance Service.svg |logocaption = Badge of the Spanish Customs Service |motto = {{lang|es|Por tierra, mar y aire}} |mottotranslated = Through land, sea and air |formed = Since the 16th century; reorganized on February 12, 1982 |preceding1 ={{lang|es|Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Fiscal}} |preceding2 ={{lang|es|Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Marítima y Terrestre de Tabacalera S.A.}} |employees = 2,276 (2025)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agencia Tributaria: Qué es Vigilancia Aduanera - Medios personales y operativos |url=https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/aduanas/vigilancia-aduanera/que-vigilancia-aduanera/medios-personales-operativos.html#:~:text=En%20el%20%C3%81rea%20de%20Vigilancia,Navegaci%C3%B3n,%20Propulsi%C3%B3n%20y%20Comunicaciones). |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es}}</ref> |budget = |country = Spain |national = Yes |map = |mapcaption = |sizearea = |sizepopulation = |legaljuris = |governingbody = Government of Spain |governingbodyscnd = |constitution1 = Decreto Real 319/1982 |constitution2 = Ley Orgánica 12/1995 |speciality1 = customs |speciality2 = border |oversightbody = Department of Customs and Special Taxes |headquarters = Madrid, Spain |electeetype = Minister |minister1name = Arcadi España |minister1pfo = Minister of Finance and Public Administrations |chief1name = Jesús Gascón Catalán |chief1position = Agency's President |chief2name = Soledad Fernández Doctor |chief2position = Agency's Director-General |parentagency = Agencia Tributaria |child1agency = |website = {{URL|sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/aduanas/vigilancia-aduanera.html|Web site}} |footnotes = }}
The '''Customs Surveillance Service''' ({{langx|es|Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera}}, '''SVA'''), officially '''Deputy Directorate for Customs Surveillance''' ({{langx|es|Dirección Adjunta de Vigilancia Aduanera}}, '''DAVA'''), is a law enforcement agency of the Spanish Ministry of Finance, integrated in the Spanish Tax Agency. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prosecution of cases involving smuggling, illegal drug trade, and related crimes, such us money laundering and tax evasion.
Its activities can be compared with United States agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or some of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as UK's Border Force.
==History==
===Origins=== The origin of the service goes back to the creation of a paramilitary organization (called in Spanish ''Resguardo'') to protect the monopoly of tobacco of the Tabacalera (the oldest tobacco company in the world), a Spanish tobacco monopoly which was established in 1636. The primary duty of the ''Resguardo'' was to protect the monopoly that the State exercised over the tobacco, combatting smuggling since its trade was one of the primary sources of funds of the Spanish Royal Treasury between the seventeenth and the 18th centuries.<ref>{{cite book |author=Carlos E. Corona, José A. Armillas Vicente | title = La España de las reformas: Hasta el final del reinado de Carlos IV | publisher = Ediciones Rialp | year = 1984 | pages = 207–209 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wLNVAv7N-_YC&q=resguardo+de+tabacos&pg=PA209 | isbn = 978-84-321-2106-7}}</ref>
===Recent history=== Recent history of the service begins in 1944 with the creation of the ''Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Marítima y Terrestre de Tabacalera S.A.'' (Special Service of Maritime and Terrestrial Surveillance from Tabacalera) charged of preventing the tobacco contraband. In 1954 due to the ineffectiveness of the service its duties were assumed by the Spanish Treasury who reorganized the service and created the ''Servicio Especial de Vigilancia Fiscal'' (Special Service of Fiscal Surveillance), made up of military and civilian personnel, which assumed the task of fighting the contraband. In 1982 the service was reorganized under the ''Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera'' (Customs Surveillance Service) and its duties were broadened to include the investigation of economic crimes and the fight against illegal drugs, among other roles.<ref>{{cite web | title = History of the Spanish Customs | url = http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/historia.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101103011626/http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/historia.htm | archive-date = 2010-11-03 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
==Activities== The most common duties of the SVA are regulated by the ''Royal Decree 319/1982'' and the ''Organic Law against contraband 12/1995''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Organic Law against contraband 12/1995 | url = https://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/Penal/lo12-1995.html }}</ref>
Those are the investigation, discovery and prosecution of contraband violations throughout the nation, territorial waters and airspace. The force also has powers conferred by the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) regarding economic crimes, including the fight against corruption, fraud investigation in foreign trade and money laundering, among other roles. <ref>{{cite web | title = Royal Decree 319/1982 | url = https://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/Fiscal/rd319-1982.html }}</ref>
The SVA cooperates with international and European organizations such as the European Anti-Fraud Office, Europol or the World Customs Organization.<ref>{{cite web | title = OLAF Anti-Fraud Communicators Network | url = http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/olaf-oafcn/list/en.html#es }}</ref>
==Organisation==
===Central Services===
The Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance ({{langx|es|Dirección Adjunta de Vigilancia Aduanera, DAVA}}) is integrated into the Department of Customs and Special Taxes ({{langx|es|Departamento de Aduanas e Impuestos Especiales}}) of the Spanish Tax Agency of the Ministry of Finance.<ref>{{cite web| title =Central Services organisation of the Department of Customs and Special Taxes| url =https://www.agenciatributaria.es/AEAT.internet/Inicio/La_Agencia_Tributaria/Aduanas_e_Impuestos_Especiales/_Presentacion/La_Aduana_espanola/_INFORMACION/Conocenos/_INFORMACION/Organigrama/Servicios_centrales/Servicios_centrales.shtml}}</ref>
The customs headquarters is in Madrid.
'''Department of Customs and Special Taxes''' * Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance ** Section of Operations (''Subdirección General de Operaciones'') ** Section of Logistics (''Subdirección General de Logística'') * Section of Planning, Statistics and Coordination (''Subdirección General de Planificación, Estadística y Coordinación'') * Section of Customs Management (''Subdirección General de Gestión Aduanera'') * Section of Management and Control of Special Taxes (''Subdirección General de Gestión e Intervención de Impuestos Especiales'') * Section of Inspection and Investigation (''Subdirección General de Inspección e Investigación'') * Section of Chemicals and Technologies (''Subdirección General Químico-Tecnológica'') * Section of International Relations (''Subdirección General de Relaciones Internacionales'')
===Territorial Services=== Regional Operations Area *Operations Units *Maritime Bases *Air Bases
==Armament and equipment==
===Air=== [[File:Eurocopter AS-365N Dauphin del Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (5963487973).jpg|thumb|SVA's Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin]] The aircraft fleet consists of CASA C-212 Aviocar maritime patrol aircraft<ref>{{cite web | title = C-212 aircraft of the SVA | url = http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Aereos/c212.htm | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-date = 2008-04-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080414174528/http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Aereos/c212.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> and MBB Bo 105, Dauphin and BK117 helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter.<ref>{{cite web | title = Spanish Customs helicopters | url = http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Aereos/helos.htm | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-date = 2008-06-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080624060717/http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Aereos/helos.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref>
===Maritime=== thumb|Ship racing stripe thumb|Flag of the Spanish Customs with a double crowned H, symbol of the Spanish Royal Treasury The maritime component of the Customs Surveillance Service is one of the largest employed by the Spanish government with approximately 90<ref>{{cite web | title = Spanish Customs Equipment | url = http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/medios.htm | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-date = 2009-03-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090303025759/http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/medios.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> vessels in service. The maritime units of the service are classed as Spanish Navy auxiliary vessels ''(Decree 1002/1961, of maritime surveillance)''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Lista de Buques Auxiliares de la Armada Española - SVA ships | url = http://www.losbarcosdeeugenio.com/loba/paginas/LBAA.html#SVA | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326084246/http://www.losbarcosdeeugenio.com/loba/paginas/LBAA.html#SVA | archive-date = 2009-03-26 | url-status = dead }}</ref> * Special operations ships: 2 ships for special operations and counter-drug patrols. These ships have both a medium helicopter deck, long range interceptors and deployable pursuit boats (DPB), detention cells, etc. *High endurance ships: 18 of different classes. Equipped with deployable pursuit boats. *Medium endurance ships and high speed interception boats: 24 different classes. Depending on which class they are they carry deployable pursuit boats. *Others, including rigid inflatable boats, boats seized from smugglers and used by the service, etc.<ref>{{cite web | last = Rush | first = Neill | title = SVA equipment | url = http://www.navynuts.com/Aduanas.html | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090531185013/http://www.navynuts.com/Aduanas.html | archive-date = 2009-05-31 | url-status = dead }}</ref> ====Maritime special operations units====
The special operations units of the Customs Maritime Service are responsible for tracking drug shipments from foreign points-of-origin and interdicting them in international waters, supported by the investigations of ground staff.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
===Ground forces=== Most of the vehicles used are unmarked while some of them are marked, specially those deployed in airports and seaports or in specific operations. They also are equipped with mobile scanners for non-intrusive inspections. Investigation units have special equipment to accomplish their missions like thermal cameras, interceptions devices, etc.<ref>{{cite web | title = Spanish Customs ground forces | url = http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Terrestres/vehiculos.htm | access-date = 2009-05-14 | archive-date = 2009-12-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091222083931/http://www.telecable.es/personales/sva/Terrestres/vehiculos.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref>
===Small arms=== Spanish customs agents are armed with the 9mm Heckler & Koch USP Compact pistols and Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns. Also 7.62mm MG3 and .50 caliber M2 machine guns are mounted on vessels.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> Image:Fulmar.JPG|SVA ''Fulmar''-class ship for counter-drug special operations Image:Alcaraván-I.JPG|''Alcaraván''-class patrol ship ''Alcaraván IV'' Image:Rodman-55HJ SVA.JPG|''Cormorán''-class (Rodman-55HJ) high speed interception boat ''Águila I'' Image:Arao SVA.JPG|''Gerifalte''-class (Rodman-101) patrol ship ''Arao'' Image:HJ-VII.JPG|HJ-class high speed interception boat ''HJ-VII'' Image:Patrullero Fénix.JPG|''Alcotán''-class high speed interception boat ''Fénix'' Image:Patrullero Alca.JPG|''Gerifalte''-class patrol ship ''Alca'' Image:Abanto y Colimbo IV.JPG|Two SVA patrol vessels at Cartagena Naval Base </gallery>
==See also== * Crime in Spain
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons}} *[https://agenciatributaria.gob.es Official web site of the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria)] *[http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/40customs/index_en.htm Official EU web site dedicated to the European Customs] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090531185013/http://www.navynuts.com/Aduanas.html Naval World On-Line web] Customs Surveillance Service equipment (In English)
{{Corruption}} {{Customs}} {{Coast guards}} {{European Border and Coast Guard}} {{Law enforcement agencies of Spain}} {{National intelligence agencies}} {{National intelligence agencies in Europe}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Servicio De Vigilancia Aduanera}} Category:Customs services Category:Financial regulatory authorities of Spain Category:Anti-money laundering organizations Category:Coast guards Category:Border control Category:Borders of Spain Category:Spanish intelligence agencies