Last week we told you about a container that was cleared from Customs and then recalled. But before it could get back to the compound, the driver was jacked on the Coastal Road at gunpoint by seven armed men. Or so the story goes. The container was later found abandoned in Belmopan and all its contents had been removed. That was one very unusual happening and the story of strange business at Customs took on a life of its own in an explosive headline in today’s Reporter newspaper.
The article claims that container was supposed to have contained pharmaceuticals, but may have concealed either counterfeit goods or weapons. It also reports that a second container, this one filled with arms from China and intended for a guerrilla movement in Mexico disappeared from the Port compound. All this as proof, the Reporter says, that there is a criminal smuggling network in operation at the Port compound.
As we said, explosive claims and I tracked down the Comptroller of Customs today who gave us a very different story.
Gregory Gibson, Comptroller of Customs
“I was appalled at the comments made in the article. The implications to some extent were far fetched. In particular I was disturbed because for the first time in the history of Customs we have been able to intercept a container or movement information on a container which indicates that there may be illicit items which raises some concern about the level of activity within the Customs, the Port, and perhaps in terms of exportation.
But I think it is important to recognize that at Customs you make a declaration. We accept your declaration on the face of the Customs entry and then we verify the declaration. In this case, acting on information received three weeks after such a declaration was made, we discovered that the declaration we had been researching had in fact reflected spices coming from the Middle East, nothing about firearms. Furthermore that investigation indicated that it was supposed to be exported to Mexico. To date while there had been some speculation that the container was diverted through Belize, some people said Ladyville, we do not have any conclusive evidence to indicate that that is so. We do have several Customs officers who are under investigation in regards the process of that exportation.
We are acting again on the hunch, without physical evidence that this container was then exported but we do not have any physical evidence this time. We have suspended one officer in an effort to get at the truth and we believe if we can put the legal material together that we may interdict two Customs officers.
If we are to go on the presumption that the container was not exported, then the declaration made is inaccurate and untrue and that is what would make it illegal and if that is the case then those officers who may have given the impression that it was exported may be guilty of committing a fraud along with the owners of the goods or the exporters.
The container has since been exported back to the country of exportation which was the U.S., by way of the U.S. to Belize from Lebanon and we have checked the container for residues and there has been nothing to indicate anything of any nature that we can go on, illicit or other wise.
As Customs officers we are naturally suspicious of any port of entry and we put systems and resources in place to address what might be possible loopholes. Before containers leave the port, Customs officers have to authorize the release. The time the containers leave are documented so to indicate that there is a large level of smuggling out of the port, we don’t have any information at all to indicate that. If that was the case then we would have been doubling up our resources to maintain the sort of preventative presence that will be required.”
7NEWS understands that Belize Customs did cross-check with U.S. Homeland Security about the container. They have since verified that when it passed through their port, checks were also conducted and there was no weapons discovery. Meanwhile investigations continue into that other suspicious container. That’s the one that was hijacked on the Coastal Road.
According to Gibson, the importer had declared that there was an assortment of vitamins inside. But the container was released and following the approval of that release, they received information that made them decide to call for its return for re-examination. But that is when Gibson says they were informed by the truck’s driver that the vehicle had been hijacked by a group of armed individuals.
Gregory Gibson,
“It was at that point that things got a little hazy and crazy and when we tried to recall the container, the driver of the truck indicated, at some point in time in trying to get in touch with him between his leaving the port and going to the alleged owner’s residence that he was, for want of a better word, hijacked and the container taken out of his command. In the meanwhile two Customs officers, at the risk to their own selves, had pursued the container in an effort to turn it around. Just around mile 31 the driver indicated that he was turning back. At this time a group of individuals with guns had commandeered the truck and taken it apparently through the Coastal Road. We immediately called the police for backup. We asked for a checkpoint to be set up at the southern end of the Coastal Road and we also called in for backup from the Customs to pursue this container if it indeed had gone down the Coastal Road. During that process we encountered the trucker walking. He confirmed that information and subsequently we pursued the Coastal Road but were not able to locate the container. We also called in the BDF I should say, the Air Wing to fly over, and identify if there was any container at any location or diversionary roads. Nothing was found until the following morning when the container was located in Belmopan empty and the only thing that may perhaps indicate that they went south was the red clay that was found in the container. There was nothing else to indicate what type of items were in the container and so far no one has come forward to lodge a complaint that they lost their goods or that the trucker had lost it and those are indications that it was less than above board. This container had already paid tax and duties. It was still carrying the seal from the shipper and at the time Customs would have conducted the inspection at the importer’s premises then the seal on the container would have been broken and then the examination would have taken place.
We have no information to indicate any immediate Customs involvement. We are again looking at the processes that went about in terms of making the declaration, in releasing the container, and perhaps in what would have been the examination. And maybe from that point of view we’re looking at the individuals who would have been involved in that process. To say so far that they’ve done anything wrong, we have nothing to indicate that. But we have asked the police to come in on this one. They are conducting the investigation from there end and we’ve also assigned two Customs officials to work alongside them and so far we’ve interviewed, taken statements, from at least 3 Customs officers.
We’ve always maintained a respectful and cordial relationship with the police and we may both feel that we have better ways of doing our own business but we respect the ability of the police to conduct serious investigations and that is why they were called in. And secondly because we don’t want to be part of what may be perceived as a cover up from within the department. So we’ve called them in and we’re giving them what technical assistance we can give them from the Customs point of view. In terms of the investigation that is the nature of police business, that is why we are asking them to be a major part of the investigation.”
The empty container is being held at the Customs Department in Belize City.
