The economists and experts say that millions of dollars in contraband goods enter the country annually. Most of it is from the Corozal Free Zone and it has become big business for smugglers. How big? Well since the start of this month, the Customs Department confiscated $45,000 in contraband and they believe that's just the tip of the iceberg. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
These bottles of top shelf liquor, such as Black Label, Baileys, and Absolut Vodka - along with these cans of Mexican beer, and cartons of cigarettes were confiscated by the Customs Department within the last three weeks. They are the real things but they were smuggled illegally from the Free Zone.
Miguel Uk, Customs Investigating Officer
"What you're seeing here Keith is the results of a three week operation being conducted for the pre-September celebrations. What you have in this area here is the results of checkpoints being established in the Boom junction and at the Carmelita junction. Practically the goods here were seized off the public transport, in most instances.
In some instance they are not counterfeit, they are un-customed. The cigarettes, if you look here you have Benson and Hedges and you have the Winston - those are genuine products. The Lucky Gold and the D&G, I cannot say it is counterfeit, it might be of an inferior quality but I won't say its counterfeit."
Customs investigator Miguel Uk says smugglers hid the items in school bags like these and all were Belize City bound but never made it because they were busted. There have been few arrests though because the goods were smuggled on buses.
Miguel Uk,
"Most of it is goods which are being abandoned on the public transport. In some instances they will leave it in the bushes to avoid coming with it through the checkpoint. So in that instance there is nobody being charged for it."
The beer, cigarettes, and liquor you see here are roughly valued at about $45,000. But that's nothing compared to the items inside this warehouse. This mountain of soft drinks are all contraband - and so too is this stash of Mexican beer confiscated last week. Officer in charge of the investigations unit Casman Middleton says the game has changed - smuggling has become big business. That is why his department is now equipped with this high speed skiff and this new pickup truck.
Casman Middleton, Commander - Investigations Unit
"We will be seeing Customs doing more operations along the river banks which is an area of concern. The game has gotten bigger so we this is the reason we had to re-strategize and to come out with a new game plan. Its more commercialized now and that is what is making it a little difficult for us."
As for the cigarettes, beer, and liquor - Uk says some will be destroyed and some will be auctioned.
Miguel Uk,
"In some instances, depending on the type of commodity, they will be sold by either auction. Well here we don't have any perishable items but what we do when it comes to perishable items is we distribute them to charity houses. We give them to BDF, probably to Coast Guard, and other enforcement agencies but most of it goes to charitable institutions. When it comes to the liquor, like I tell you, it will be sold by auction. The cigarettes and definitely the beers, there is no way we will put them on the streets. Those ones are strictly destroyed."
The fine for smuggling contraband is triple the market value of the items. So for example - the penalty for the items seized so far this month would be a cool $135,000 which would have to be paid within six months or else the offender will face jail time. The Customs Department asks anyone with information on contraband to call their hotline or call the police tip line at 0-800-922-TIPS.
