…And recover three stolen vehicles in San Pedro

And in another break, people who deal with stolen vehicles are getting more innovative in this business and it is getting increasingly difficult to detect the stolen vehicles. But today, the Customs Department scored two for two when they intercepted what is believed to be three stolen vehicles. The vehicles include a 2006 white Kia delivery truck, a 2008 Chevy Silverado and a 2002 Jeep Cherokee. All vehicles were traced to three businesses in San Pedro Town, namely, San Pedro Supermarket, San Pedro Hardware and Island Supermarket, all owned and operated by the Harmouch family. Customs Enforcement Officer, Miguel Uk, briefed the media on this find at the Customs compound this evening.

Miguel Uk, Enforcement Officer, Customs Dept.
“We spot those vehicles on the streets. We have certain little techniques, certain little suspicions based on probably the plates that give us a hint as to whether these vehicles are operating with legal plates. Based on that, we pick up the license plate numbers and we end up tracing them through the Traffic Department in the city of Belize just to confirm whether those plates matches the vehicles we are seeing it on. Once it is confirmed and it is confirmed that the plate does not match that vehicle then we move in on them because then it is confirmed. What they’re doing right now, they’re actually using fraudulent documentation. They are using forged certificate of title being from the City of Belize or being from the department of transport or district. They are also so innovative that they are making their own license sticker, they are making their own plates. To the innocent third party, we put it innocent third party buyer to that extent because they were presented with a certificate of title. They can’t say if it is … they bought it in good faith. But I want to believe that yes, they could have some knowledge based on the price of these vehicles are going because basically, dehn di give weh dehn vehicles yah. We di talk bout in di case of di Kia truck, if you compare it with the Dealers in Belize which we deal with Kia, you will find out that you will pay no less than forty, forty-five thousand dollars. They actually bought it for fifteen, twenty thousand dollars. We di talk bout wah Chevy Silverado pick-up, which is a 2008. it is an eight cylinder vehicle so you are speaking nothing less than seventy, seventy-five thousand dollars for a 2008. how they paid for it? Seventeen thousand Belize dollars for a 2008. So just the price suppose to indicate to you that something is definitely wrong here.”

Jules Vasquez, Channel Seven
“How do they fraudulently license these vehicles?”

Miguel Uk
“They do not license the vehicle. Let me be clear on this, in no way is it licensed legally through this system. It is not registered. They are using fraudulent documentation to sell to the third party buyers.”

Jules Vasquez
“How does it enter the country?”

Miguel Uk
“Well, it is more likely that probably it entered through the illegal points and probably they do pass through customs under the T.P. system whereby other people bring it in; bonafide tourists that come into Belize, they get a permit and they bring it in and end up leaving them in Belize. But what we have found out is in most instances they come in illegally through the country by either the back roads in the Cayo district or they are coming in all the down to the back areas in the Blue Creek Area.”

Marion Ali
“This is three recovered right now. How many of those do you think are in the country?”

Miguel Uk
“My estimate, I would say there are plenty. So far, over one hundred.”

Marion Ali
“What are the penalties for this kind of offense sir?”

Miguel Uk
“The penalties for this kind of offence is three times the market value and you have to be careful when it comes to the third party buyer because the law has been amended whereby regardless, if you are claiming to be an innocent third party buyer, the law is stating that you are found with the vehicle so you are deemed to be in possession of uncustomed goods. So regardless of you saying I bought it innocently, it is you who could end up answering fort he charges in court.”

Marion Ali
“And how successful have you been in this kind of prosecution in court?”

Miguel Uk
“It has been difficult, very difficult because in most cases the third party buyers, they are reluctant to give the name of the people they purchase the vehicles from. They either come and tell you I bought it from somebody who I don’t know.”

Marion Ali
“So what happens in that case?

Miguel Uk
“Well, in that case it is left up to us to prepare a case file, it is sent up to the legal advisor in the Ministry of Finance and there it is most likely that the vehicle is confiscated according to Customs law and if directed we will proceed to prosecute them in court.”

Marion Ali
“If you can’t succeed with a prosecution then what happens to the vehicle?”

Miguel Uk
“The vehicles definitely, they will be sized to the Government of Belize.”

While the vehicles have been impounded, no one is detained since the Customs Department says they are acting on suspicion of illegal activity.