A sting operation by the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), intercepted a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, which contained hundreds of boxes of foreign chicken and mosquito coils on May 2.
A statement from GRA noted that the Captain and two Sailors, who were on board the vessel, were apprehended and placed into custody.
According to the GRA, these were first time offenders.
“Second-time offenders will be liable to pay three times the duties and taxes as a fine. Third-time offenders may be prosecuted and/or be allowed to pay three times the value of the item as a fine, as compensation in lieu of court proceedings. These offences in many cases also result in seizure of the goods and confiscation of the vehicles involved,” the GRA statement noted.
It was further explained that from January 2018 to date, LEID has been able to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in Customs Duties, Excise Taxes, Environmental Levy and VAT, and fines, and confiscated significant quantities of commonly smuggled items which include alcohol, foreign chicken and mosquito coils.
“The LEID operations exemplify the GRA’s commitment to deter, disrupt, and prosecute individuals who attempt to import prohibited items, and evade the payment of their fair share of duties and taxes.”
According to GRA, whistleblowers have significantly improved LEID’s performance, the agency’s revenue collection, “and the general public must be complemented in aiding the Authority efforts in stamping out this activity.”
