What will the Customs Department do with the two fuel bowsers it intercepted yesterday coming out of Calla Creek Village?
The bowsers remain impounded at Customs Headquarters in Belize City - but proving that the fuel is contraband is not that simple.
Yes, it was intercepted a few hundred meters from the Guatemalan border - but, as we learnt today, the drivers of the truck also have produced Belizean invoices for their cargo. And, proving the particular chemical composition for fuel in this town is harder than getting a DNA test done on a strand of hair.
Today, we spoke to the Assistant Comptroller via Zoom about a straightforward seizure that has turned into a complicated case:
Jules Vasquez "What are the drivers are saying about the origin of this fuel?"
Gilbert Gordon - Asst. Comptroller of Customs "What I can say is that yes we have received information from them about the fuel, we have data claiming that these fuel were purchased here in Belize but the onus is on us the customs department to be able to see how reliable, how true those information that they have presented to customs is true."
Jules Vasquez "You know that you are dealing with fuel, it looks and smells the same pretty much all over the world, so how do you determine if this is indeed contraband fuel?"
Gilbert Gordon "If you understand what fuel is, it is very difficult for you to prove because although we know something, proving something in court is very challenging and proving something in court in the area of fuel is going to be even more difficult but we're looking at all different areas and put together the case file that will allow us to present if the department decided to lay charges because the time for us to detain an individual is 48 hours and time is of the essence right now as we speak in ensuring that we lay charges on those 2 individuals that were caught with the suspected contraband fuel that was being brought into the country."
Jules Vasquez "You have to accept that 48 hours is going to be up tomorrow morning and things being what they are the complexity of the case being what it is, you may have to release those bowsers."
Gilbert Gordon "Well, the customs department, we understand cases and we have won a lot of cases and we have lost a lot of cases but in some instances, we have also brought some form a reality to let them see exactly what is happening, what is transpiring. Also we have opened up a pandoras box where preventatively people can see exactly what is transpiring and this can, although we might not be able to lay charges on these individuals, we have opened up an area where people can now say that listen, this is happening in our country and we have citizens that can assist in giving information but it also opens up the eyes of what is transpiring in the society and the impact that it has on society in regards to economic impact on our country."
Jules Vasquez "You all believe contraband fuel has a consequential effect on the fuel market in Belize and it is seriously eroding the business of the suppliers and the dealers."
Gilbert Gordon "It is estimated that the contraband fuel that comes into the country about 60 thousand dollars of fuel comes into the country weekly, which translates to 3.1 million dollars of fuel comes into the country yearly and so it's a major impact on the revenue that the government should be collecting, it's also a major impact on those different stakeholders because it's loss revenue they should be collecting as well."
Late word is that despite the complexity of the case, the Customs Department will bring charges.
