Contents of shipping container gone missing
Officials from the Customs and Excise Department have launched an intensive investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the contents of a twenty-foot container which was destined for the Commercial Free Zone in Corozal. The container entered the country through the Ports of Belize Limited on Monday and it was later transferred to the neighboring Customs compound where it was examined and cleared for transit to the duty-free market in Santa Elena. A security officer from the department was assigned to accompany both the twenty- footer and another container, the contents of which belonged to a company registered as Pier One. The protocol for delivery requires that the customs officer ensures the safe arrival of the cargo to its final destination. In this instance, however, the officer proceeded with the first container knowing that he should have stayed behind to ensure the safety of the second. According to an investigator, the twenty-foot vessel has been returned to Ports of Belize Limited but the handbags, t-shirts, socks and other boutique merchandise valued at eighteen thousand Belize dollars remain unaccounted for. Strangely, the driver of the towhead is claiming he delivered both containers to Pier One at the Commercial Free Zone and the company hasn’t filed a report declaring the items missing. Instead it was the security officer assigned to supervise the delivery who sounded the alarm. The Customs and Excise Department is now looking into the possibility of tax evasion since the contents of the container are still believed to be in the country.
What is all the hoop-la about this one?? this happens constantly, even with fuel trucks that never reach the Zone. Why would certain businesses need such huge waarehouses in Orange Walk?? and why is the off-loading of containers in OW be done in some un-godly hours?? U don’t need Jughead Jones at the head of certain departments to figure whats happening……
This is a foreign crime syndicate that is now finding a weak spot in the Belize custom systems. This was, and maybe still going on in the USA were containers of all kinds of merchandize were highjacked and the mehchandize ended up in so-call 99cts stores, especially in Southern California. Wake up custom officers. At the same time belizeans should not be short change when it come to common sense, but we have learn how to survive in this tough Belize system that is not getting to better as our govrnment is not really up to the task to create suffecient opportunites, (not jobs) for a growing and restless population, and many are going the route of criminal activities, which can be charactarize, white color crime.
Something always smells fishy when it comes to the customs department…..they corrupt bad. Tell me this, how can a customs officer on a government payscale can be driving around in expensive late model vehicles, wearing the expensivest clothes and jewelry, talking on the latest high tech cellpones, eating and drinking at the most ecpensive extablishment and having a house fit for a king? All a dem di hustle big time and deh corrupt just like the police and the rest of the government ministers…they are one in the same.
Why are we not surprised anymore by what happens in that corrupt department??? GOB Needs to restructure that dept. since yesterday