Customs is a six-part Irish documentary television series that examines the role of customs officers, focusing on their daily lives and their regular encounters with the illegal drug trade and other difficult situations. It is the first time such a filming sequence has been carried out. The series was originally broadcast in editions of 30 minutes each on RTÉ One at 19:30 on Sunday evenings. The first episode aired on 14 September 2008.
The makers of the series gained unprecedented access to the daily operations of Ireland's customs officers, allowing viewers to see first hand the way the authorities deal with the increasing level of illegal materials and substances being imported. For example, the first episode featured a suspicious passenger making haste for a nearby exit, a live snake found in luggage at Dublin Port, an undercover operation that halted a cigarette smuggling scam at Dublin Airport and the customs anti-evasion unit chasing down UK registered cars in Cork. A spokesperson for the show was quoted as saying:
"They find shipments of drugs in the strangest places: a doll's house; picture frames; the bottom of a massive cargo ship. Large quantities of money, cigarettes and cars are regularly seized, as well as a myriad of other illegal goods and substances."
