Customs Officers try to steal seized items

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has reportedly launched an investigation into the seizure of millions of dollars in smuggled goods from Suriname.

The truck driver and six others have been arrested. Heading the investigation is former Crime Chief Deputy Commissioner, Henry Chester. Several Customs officers from the Springlands GRA office, Corentyne, Berbice, are being questioned. Kaieteur News was told that the goods came from Suriname over a period of time. They included Heineken Beer, mosquito coils, firecrackers, poisons and other items. On Monday, the Enforcement arm of Customs at Springlands hired a truck, GPP 4226, to transport the seized items to the Georgetown bond located in Eccles, East Bank Demerara. According to reports, there were no Customs escorts for the truck and its contents. Instead of heading to Eccles, the truck, escorted by a car PSS 5005 registered to an Essequibo businessman, crossed the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The truck was intercepted at LaGrange, West Bank Demerara. The drivers, when stopped, were unable to produce the necessary documents showing that taxes and duties were paid. Senior Customs officials are believed to have been involved in the decision to spirit away the seized goods. GRA, over the years, has been battling internal corruption, with billions of dollars lost annually by the state because of collusion by staffers with businessmen. More recently, chicken and alcohol have been the major commodities smuggled. Alcohol, in particular, results in more than $1 billion in lost taxes annually, according to Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia. Over the last three months seized goods yielded some $400 million in recovered duties and taxes. Millions of dollars worth of chicken has been seized this year. However, rather than selling the chicken at auction, the articles are distributed to the Guyana Defence Force, the Georgetown Public Hospital, and the Georgetown Prisons.

(Kaieteurnews.com)