PART V-BUREAU OF CUSTOMS

The Bureau of Customs submitted responses regarding two sets of data banks: the Treasury Enforcement Communications System and miscellaneous files. These are presented and analyzed separately in the two subparts below.

Subpart 1-Bureau of Customs Treasury Enforcement
Communications System (TECS)

Subcommittee Analysis

The Bureau of Customs described one intelligence system, the comprehensive Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS). I. Index

A. Customs Intelligence-TECS (computer- (1) Provides transmission and exchange of law ized).

enforcement information and 1-way com-
munications interface with the FBI's
National Crime Information Center to
participating bureaus: Customs, IRS Intel-
ligence Division, IRS Inspection Service,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Secret Service is expected to join in July
1973.

(2) Customs information includes identifying
data; citizenship; race; aliases; data regard-
ing warrants issued; remarks, such as crim-
inal activity, "armed and dangerous," etc.
(Although not stated explicitly in the re-
sponse, the exchange capability may pro-
vide each participating bureau with access
to information collected by all other partici-
pating bureaus. Hence, the contents of
Customs, IRS, ATF, and Secret Service
data banks, as recorded in the response
summaries of those bureaus, would be
available on an exchange basis throughout
the TECS system.)

II. Nature of Material Submitted

Responsiveness. No detailed response was submitted to the Subcommittee regarding TECS, which was implemented in December 1972, and is an elaboration of the old Customs ADP Intelligence Network (CADPIN). TECS was described in summary form in the cover letter (see Part I, above). A detailed and elaborately documented response was submitted describing the now obsolete CADPIN system. On June 29, 1973, Mr. Merchant, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary assured the subcommittee by telephone that TECS was merely an updated version of CADPIN. He said the detailed CADPIN response reflects information that applies accurately to the newer TECS system.