Border controls

A consignment of a cultural object must be accompanied by an export licence, an invoice, a customs declaration and, depending on the country, a certificate of non-classification. The module teaches how to spot inconsistencies: dates, signatures, overly vague descriptions, abnormal amounts.

Officers consult the BIOP database, INTERPOL's database and, if needed, the OIMAP Registry to confirm the status of a certified work.

Inspection is done with care: opening the packaging in the presence of the declarant, photographs before handling, handling with gloves, visual examination and then, if necessary, scanner or portable spectrometry. The module explains the risks of damage and protective measures.

Exercises on fictional parcels train observation and writing.

When a seizure is justified, the officer draws up a precise report, labels the object, packs it and transfers it to a suitable place of conservation. The module details the chain of evidence, storage conditions (temperature, humidity, light) and cooperation with museums to receive seized objects.

A model agreement with a museum makes it possible to secure objects while awaiting the court's decision.

The seizure opens a procedure: investigation, expert appraisal, possible restitution. The module explains how to inform OIMAP's protection department, alert the foreign services concerned, and communicate with the courts and the press.

Officers learn to write reports usable by magistrates, including in cross-border justice.

Controls respect the rights of the defence, the presumption of innocence and proportionality. The module recalls the rules on police custody, notification of rights and handling of personal data. One chapter deals with sensitive situations: inheritance, a traveller in good faith, an object bought as a souvenir.

The aim is to act firmly against trafficking without penalising innocent travellers.

The Academy's reception service answers practical questions Monday to Friday, in French, English and Spanish, and can direct each visitor to the programme, scholarship or free resource that fits their situation. A guidance counsellor also offers a thirty-minute individual meeting, by appointment, to build a realistic training pathway.

Trainees' feedback is valuable: each session gives rise to a questionnaire, and the most useful suggestions are examined each quarter by the teaching committee. Do not hesitate to write to report a difficulty, propose a subject or tell us what the training has changed in your practice.