Imperial Customs / Legends Imperial Customs , also known as the Imperial Office of Customs , was an agency of the Galactic Empire responsible for ensuring imports and exports that traveled through Imperial Space were legal and complied with Imperial laws and regulations . Furthermore , Customs also helped deter pirates and participate in search and rescue missions . Description . Imperial Customs was an agency of the Imperial Military that monitored exports and imports through the space of the Galactic Empire , also making sure that corresponding taxes and tariffs were collected . In that capacity , Imperial Customs engaged legitimate independent spacers and large - scale freight haulers , smugglers , arms runners , spice traders , anyone without proper identification signals and other criminals engaged in the movement and sale of illegal substances . Customs also helped against pirates and participated in search and rescue operations . Customs had to answer to the Commerce agency of COMPNOR , which collected information about the impact of piracy on Imperial trade . Imperial Customs worked closely with the Imperial Navy and used uniforms that were very similar to those used by the Navy , however both were separate organizations . The agency had its own fleet of light patrol starships . The most recognizable symbol of Imperial Customs was the Rendili Star Drive Light corvette , more commonly known as the " Imperial Customs Corvette " because the ship was produced exclusively for the Customs office . Customs tried to keep at least one of these vessels on patrol in every system , and backwater systems could expect a visit at least every three to four weeks . Other common vessels used by Imperial Customs were the Imperial Customs Frigate and the Guardian - class light cruiser ( plus its later variant , the Guardian 334 - class light cruiser ) . A number of old PB - 950 patrol boat s were part of the Imperial Customs force . Imperial Customs had a significant number of space stations - such as Golan III defensive platforms - under their control at the time of the Galactic Civil War . These platforms were located on common hyperspace corridors of which were serviced and protected by the Imperial Navy . Usually there were also stormtroopers ready to help Imperial Customs . An example of a Customs Outpost of this type would be the platform located in the Zhar system . Customs also ran checkpoints in some starports . The agency had formal control over the local starport authorities , but in practice local officers ignored Imperial Customs agents ( a situation that smugglers used to their advantage , as local customs employees were more open to bribery ) . The empire maintained a customs checkpoint in the city of Iziz on Onderon . Imperial Customs applied holoseal s to inspected cargo , these holoseals had a register code that could be read with a special Imperial Customs tag scanner datapad . The code contained information about where it was issued while the holoseal was hard to remove or modify . Local customs authorities used similar seals but the imperial holoseal was the best coded . Finally Imperial Customs Inspectors were expected to write cargo information into the Imperial Customs database , but they rarely did . History . Most Imperial Customs officers were honest , but some of them were so corrupt that even legitimate merchants had fear of being boarded by Customs personnel . Early in the Galactic Civil War , the Commerce agency of COMPNOR began to draw Imperial Customs personnel and assets into operations to shut down Rebel supplies . Many leaders of Imperial Customs disagreed with these actions aimed to draw their resources into the war . Inspecting commercial vessels was a duty assigned to Imperial Customs , but the Imperial Navy sometimes helped Customs in lawless sectors where more firepower was required . Sometimes the Navy performed its own checks in order to increase the security of installations such as the stardock in Wroona . It was considered a class 4 infraction to tamper with an Imperial Customs holoseal ( a 1 , 000 to 5 , 000 credits fine , up to one month imprisonment and confiscation of cargo ) . Under some circumstances more severe class 3 or class 2 infractions applied . Some officers applied for transfers between the Navy and Imperial Customs , such as Soontir Fel ( who spent some time in command of Customs vessels ) and Mandus Fouc ( who saw his transfer to the Navy permanently delayed after the Battle of Endor ) . Dwin Arnae was removed from the Navy by his superiors and sent to the Sector Interdiction Office of the Minos Cluster , eventually becoming captain of a customs corvette . Imperial Customs was still operating some time after 4 ABY . Behind the scenes . The exact name of this organization varies in many sources , it has been called Imperial Customs Office , Imperial Customs Bureau , and most often just named Imperial Customs and referred to as an agency .