If it weren’t true, you might think we were kidding, but another container with pseudo-ephedrine pills has been jacked – and this time apparently with the criminal collusion of Customs officers. Yesterday at around five, a forty foot container with an estimated ten million pseudo ephedrine tablets –valuing in the millions of dollars - was smuggled out of the Port compound after being cleared by Customs. It has not been recovered, and tonight two Customs officers are detained and will face several charges as investigations reveal they both forged signatures to release the container.
The Comptroller of Customs found out about it two hours after it happened, and for much of the past 24 hours, his administrators have been scrambling to gather the facts on what really went down. Late this evening, the Comptroller and his team held a press briefing to recount what they do know. He characterized it as an embarrassing and trying time for Belize Customs. Equally troubling is that as part of new security measures the container was on a special watch list. So how did it still get out of the compound? That was just one of many questions Gibson tackled.
Gregory Gibson, Comptroller of Customs
“Investigations have confirmed that although no formal Customs entries were prepared, Customs officer Arun Perez and Customs officer Karl Augustine forged documents, forged supervisor signatures and released the shipment, a 40 foot container, out of the Port. Investigations have so far confirmed that the shipment was apparently consigned to Reimer’s Feed Mill but those investigations have also subsequently confirmed that Reimer’s Feed Mill did not order any container. So apparently it was a bogus consignment using the name of a legitimate importer. The police have been called in and as we speak the two officers are at the police station where they definitely will be charged. It is likely that the investigation may also result in the further arrest of other Customs officers and other individuals who may be working with these Customs officers to circumvent the processes and procedures that we have put in place.
Even as we put things in place you have individuals who have knowledge of the checks and balances that we are putting in place and they are finding ways to collude with the enemy. But nevertheless we will leave no stone unturned in getting to these officers are breaking up the ring regardless to the risk that it may pose to the officers who are conducting these investigations. We have reason to believe that these shipments are consigned to elements of the drug cartel in Mexico and so you can understand when we need to be confidential at times because officers have been threatened.
The process that we have in place ensures that all containers on the watch list are required to be approved for release by the various signatures that I mentioned earlier. This individual circumvented that process and released it independent of any Customs entry. At the Port gate you have a Customs officers and a port officer and with the approval of those specific signatures then those checks and balances when an officer would say I need to see a specific signature and then it is okay. That signature was forged.
We’re clearly looking at stealing because the goods have been stolen without any official processes being put into effect. We’re looking at forgery and we’re probably also looking Customs charges like evasion and not dealing with the prescribed laws relating to importation of goods.”
A total of four Customs officers were detained but only two will be arrested and charged: Karl Augustine, a grade one Customs officer has been with the department for sixteen years and Arun Perez who was recently transferred from Big Creek to Belize City is a grade two Customs officer who has been employed for six years.
