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Cops load illegal alcohol seized off a boat in Carenage on December 16. - A police operation has netted more than $10 million in illegal high-end alcohol and cigarettes as it was being offloaded at a port in Carenage after being smuggled into Trinidad and Tobago.
In a media release, the TT Police Service (TTPS) revealed at approximately 8.15 pm on December 16, police intercepted a vessel at Shore Pier 3, Carenage.
The boat was docked and people were seen offloading boxes when officers approached.
Upon seeing the police, the 16 people at the dock tried to flee but were all apprehended.
Officers searched the dock and the vessel and found a shipment of contraband smuggled from Suriname.
The illegal items included approximately 1,000 cases of vodka, 200 cases of Johnnie Walker, 200 cases of Hennessy and 1,000 cases of ATLANTA cigarettes.
Police also seized four trucks in relation to the find.
Newsday spoke with a bar owner who estimated the alcohol is worth approximately $5.4 million, while the cigarettes are valued at approximately $4.8 million.
The operation was led by the Port of Spain (PoS) Division Investigation and Operations Unit, and supported by the PoS Task Force, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Canine Unit.
Earlier that day, police also conducted two operations which targeted gaming establishments that had not paid taxes.
Officers from the Port of Spain Division, led by ASP Cadette, conducted the operation supported by customs officers and investigators from the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) Criminal Tax Division.
Six establishments were served with BIR gaming tax notices amounting to $4,548,000 in unpaid taxes.
The managers at the businesses were ordered to shut down all gaming machines until the outstanding taxes were paid.
Later, between 2.20 pm and 7.30 pm, Cadette, W/Insp Joseph-Taitt of the Financial Investigation Branch, and supporting officers conducted a second operation at a Members Club on Ariapita Avenue.
The manager was served with a BIR gaming tax notice for $2,200,000 in unpaid taxes.
During the operation officers seized items of evidential value and sums totalling $69,511 and arrested one person for operating an illegal gaming house.
Bars owners not involved
President of the bar owners association Satesh Moonasar praised the police for their actions saying illegal alcohol has been an issue affecting bar sales for decades.
He told Newsday on December 17, he does not believe any of his members are involved in the illegal alcohol smuggling trade, noting the importation of illegal alcohol negatively affects bar owners as it leads to lower sales volume and undercuts the industry’s profits.
Moonasar added he is pleased to see the issue being addressed.
“Illegal contraband of alcohol and cigarettes in TT has been a plague for the longest while, so I’m glad to see we are making some inroads into that and cracking down on it.”
He explained it is difficult for bar owners to engage in that sort of fraud anyway, as every bottle of liquor in their possession must be accounted for.
Highlighting the severe consequences facing bar owners, Moonasar suggested it was not in their interest to try to buy and resell contraband.
“We have checks and balances where we need to account for our liquor in a particular way. We have a customs stock book and if found with any type of alcohol that is unaccounted for, we can be arrested, charged and jailed.
“So this is something the bar owners, at least my members, do not partake in.”
Addressing the closure of the gaming establishments for unpaid taxes, Moonasar said the police were simply doing the right thing by enforcing the law.
“The present taxes have been on the books for years. Some bar owners have basically been neglecting their civic duty of paying their taxes. So the officers are all within their rights to do what is necessary to collect the unpaid taxes from these establishments.”
However, Moonasar called on the police to enforce the law equally, and asserted the current method of enforcement lends itself to claims of victimisation.
“What is good for one is good for all. You cannot pinpoint two or three bars and want to shut them down, while the other bars are getting away scot-free.
“So they need to have a proper way of enforcing this and when they are in an area, they need to clean the entire area and not only hand-pick certain people, (else) it looks like victimisation.”
English (US) ·