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Big Customs bust!
17 arrested as police seize illegally imported appliances
BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, July 17, 2010
SEVENTEEN people who the police alleged are involved in a major container theft scheme that operated from the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) and Kingston Wharves Limited over a nine-month period, were yesterday arrested by the police.
The alleged fraud robbed the Government of more than $150 million in taxes, Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker told reporters yesterday.
The 17 accused — who included customs brokers, truck drivers and port workers — were held when the police, accompanied by the Jamaica Customs Department's Contraband Enforcement Team, raided an appliance store at the Marketplace on Constant Spring Road in Kingston and seized three containers loaded with appliances that were illegally imported into the island.
The arrests came about 12 hours after the lawmen, during a raid of a property on Molynes Road in Kingston Thursday night, seized two containers loaded with television sets and other appliances and detained seven people.
The police alleged that the Marketplace store and Molynes Road property were major drop-off points for the accused container thieves.
"Police investigations have revealed that under this scheme, over 30 containers with a potential duty collection of $150 million were illegal removed from the ports," Walker said at a hastily-called press conference at the Customs Department's Newport East office in Kingston.
"In conducting routine reconciliation procedures, the Jamaica Customs Department observed several discrepancies between arrival and release documentation and duties paid for a number of containers," Walker said.
Walker said the findings prompted an investigation, which was carried out in collaboration with the Financial Investigations Division and the police's Flying Squad.
"It was discovered that between November 2009 up to July of this year more than 30 containers with potential duty collection of $150 million were illegally removed," said Walker.
He said investigations also revealed that fraudulent documents were used to gain access to both KCT and Kingston Wharves to avoid using the Customs Department's exit ports.
"The investigations also revealed that the conspirators displayed a thorough knowledge of the ports and Customs operations and used this knowledge to exploit weaknesses in the application of procedures that would allow port access," Walker said.
According to the police, records showed that all containers were scanned with no anomalies noted.
Walker, in the meantime, warned that a number of workers believed to be involved in the scheme would lose their jobs in the coming days.
"...Action will certainly have to be taken; a number of persons will lose their jobs," he declared, adding that stricter security measures would be implemented at the ports.
Meanwhile, 14 more people are being sought by the police for questioning in connection with the uncustomed good
17 arrested as police seize illegally imported appliances
BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, July 17, 2010
SEVENTEEN people who the police alleged are involved in a major container theft scheme that operated from the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) and Kingston Wharves Limited over a nine-month period, were yesterday arrested by the police.
The alleged fraud robbed the Government of more than $150 million in taxes, Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker told reporters yesterday.
The 17 accused — who included customs brokers, truck drivers and port workers — were held when the police, accompanied by the Jamaica Customs Department's Contraband Enforcement Team, raided an appliance store at the Marketplace on Constant Spring Road in Kingston and seized three containers loaded with appliances that were illegally imported into the island.
The arrests came about 12 hours after the lawmen, during a raid of a property on Molynes Road in Kingston Thursday night, seized two containers loaded with television sets and other appliances and detained seven people.
The police alleged that the Marketplace store and Molynes Road property were major drop-off points for the accused container thieves.
"Police investigations have revealed that under this scheme, over 30 containers with a potential duty collection of $150 million were illegal removed from the ports," Walker said at a hastily-called press conference at the Customs Department's Newport East office in Kingston.
"In conducting routine reconciliation procedures, the Jamaica Customs Department observed several discrepancies between arrival and release documentation and duties paid for a number of containers," Walker said.
Walker said the findings prompted an investigation, which was carried out in collaboration with the Financial Investigations Division and the police's Flying Squad.
"It was discovered that between November 2009 up to July of this year more than 30 containers with potential duty collection of $150 million were illegally removed," said Walker.
He said investigations also revealed that fraudulent documents were used to gain access to both KCT and Kingston Wharves to avoid using the Customs Department's exit ports.
"The investigations also revealed that the conspirators displayed a thorough knowledge of the ports and Customs operations and used this knowledge to exploit weaknesses in the application of procedures that would allow port access," Walker said.
According to the police, records showed that all containers were scanned with no anomalies noted.
Walker, in the meantime, warned that a number of workers believed to be involved in the scheme would lose their jobs in the coming days.
"...Action will certainly have to be taken; a number of persons will lose their jobs," he declared, adding that stricter security measures would be implemented at the ports.
Meanwhile, 14 more people are being sought by the police for questioning in connection with the uncustomed good
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