Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll

The Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll (Central Customs Support Group, ZUZ) is the police tactical unit of the German Customs Service (Bundeszollverwaltung) and subordinate to the German Customs Investigation Bureau (Zollkriminalamt, ZKA).[1][2]

Central Customs Support Group
Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll
AbbreviationZUZ
Agency overview
Formed1997
Employees47 officers
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionGermany
General nature
Specialist jurisdictions
  • Counter terrorism, special weapons operations. Protection of internationally protected persons, other very important persons, and-or of state property of significance.
  • Customs.
Operational structure
Overviewed byGerman Customs Service
HeadquartersCologne
Parent agencyGerman Customs Investigation Bureau
A member of the ZUZ
Weapons used by the ZUZ

History

In response to the increasing violence against law enforcement officers, the ZUZ was formed in 1997 as the customs tactical unit for use when regular officers would be in too much danger. Until that point, the German Customs services requested the service of the SEK units or the GSG 9 for high-risk missions. However, due to the workload of these units, the German Customs Service decided to establish their own special unit for these types of missions.

Recruitment and training

Any member of the German Customs Service can apply for the selection process of the ZUZ. Requirements are:

  • Not older than 35 years
  • Physical and mental fitness

The selection process lasts 14 days and includes physical tests, medical examinations, interviews and aptitude tests.

Upon completion of the selection process, new ZUZ members have to attend a 10-week basic training which is followed by a 48-week advanced training.

Preservation of the various basic skills (i.e., shooting, sport and self-defence) is a top priority on the ZUZ training plan as well as driving and safety training and courses on new technical devices.

Equipment

In addition to an extensive fleet, ZUZ members are armed with the following weapons：

gollark: What would be nice is if they'd let me remote-learn a few days a week as the in-person stuff will be pretty limited anyway, except nobody seems to have thought of that or considered that it might be a good idea some people might like?
gollark: So my school has sent out its plans to keep people socially distant and whatnot while at school during the term (starting in a week and a half or so), and they seem like they should actually be pretty effective (apart from the bits about not sharing pencils etc. and wiping down tables a lot, as apparently surface transmission is overrated). They would *also*, though, make lots of school things extremely annoying.
gollark: Random, but sure, some of them are useful chemicals I guess.
gollark: Still, 12 hours of work a day sounds like a great way to have problems.
gollark: Yeeees.

See also

References
  1. Hansen, Stefan (2009). Neue deutsche Sicherheitsarchitektur: ist eine Reform der Kompetenzverteilung zwischen Polizeibehörden, Nachrichtendiensten und den Streitkräften notwendig? [New German security architecture: Is a reform of the allocation of rights and duties between police agencies, intelligence services and armed forces necessary?] (in German). Peter Lang. p. 53. ISBN 9783631585351.
  2. Soiné, Michael (2009). Ermittlungsverfahren und Polizeipraxis: Einführung in das Strafverfahrensrecht [Ermittlungsverfahren und Polizeipraxis: Einführung in das Strafverfahrensrecht]. Kriminalistik Verlag. p. 60. ISBN 9783783200232.


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