Customs seize one container of counterfeit Marlboro

But back to the Marlboro container. Customs officials revealed that the container was shipped to a company named Skyline, registered at the Commercial Free Zone in Corozal. This container sat at the Port for two weeks and it was the history of the Skyline Company that led customs officials to target the shipment.

Colin Griffith, Collector of Customs
“Our trip to the Corozal free zone last week revealed that this company registered as Skyline Freezone does have any—there is no building, no office. It appears that shipments are just imported by them and exported immediately to Mexico so there is no registered office as such within the Free Zone for Skyline Limited. Previously we did came across two shipments of uncustomed goods in the Skyline Containers because it was declared as slippers and when opened the containers we found that they contained counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes. Based on that information we decided to open the Skyline containers this morning and it contained also the counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes. We had waited for the principals to come and clear their shipment. In absence of that we decided to open it.”

Marleni Cuellar
“Who were the principals?”

Colin Griffith
“The information that we have gotten from the Corozal free zone is that the director is one Kelvin Thompson and the chairman is one angel Rangel a Mexican and Thompson is a Belizean”

The value for each container is approximately four million Belize dollars; this would be multiplied by three if charges were placed against anyone. Today’s bust brings to six the number of containers that have been detected with the illegal drug for this year.