The Customs Department moved decisively against Mike Feinstein today as they went to the municipal airport to impound his plane, a Beechcraft King Air 90. Now we haven't heard of Customs impounding a plane before but here's what led to this one. According to the receiver for Stake Bank Enterprises Limited, Feinstein recently swore in an affidavit that he brought the plane into Belize in 2021 on a temporary importation permit. The problem is that permit is dated April 8th 2021. As we understand it, the receiver's attorney, Dean Barrow, promptly brought that to the attention of the Customs Department which moved today to go and impound the plane, which reports say they claim to have done.
Now the fact is tonight as we understand it, the plane remains in the hanger and Feinstein told us over the phone this evening he's still in possession of it. he calls it mischief and harassment and he was not aware that the bond had lapsed and he intends to go and pay it on Tuesday after the Easter holidays. He says he usually has a broker attend to it and told us that renewing the bond insurance costs about $20,000.
Whether Customs will release it from impound based on that is left to be seen, we'll keep following the story. According to court documents, Feinstein made the disclosure about the temporary permit in an application to vary a consent order he had signed onto years ago because he now wishes to sell the plane.
