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2022 SFC Report: No permanent location to house Customs fleet

The 2022 Standing Finance Committee (SFC) Report has indicated that Her Majesty’s Customs is yet to secure a permanent location to house the vessels it uses in daily maritime operations.

Appearing before the SFC recently, Commissioner of Customs Wade Smith said his department has had to seek temporary solutions to secure the boats safely when they are not in use.

According to the 2022 SFC Report, Smith told the Committee, “there were some discussions had about [keeping the vessels in] an area in Baugher’s Bay. There were also suggestions on utilising parts of BVI Ports, but they indicated they need all their space. Relevant contacts were made for sheltering during hurricane season [to private citizens]. One person has agreed to secure the boats. On a permanent basis a hanger type would be ideal.”

Smith has previously described the BVI as a transhipment point for transnational crimes such as human trafficking, drugs, and bulk cash smuggling. He said his departments fleet of vessels is important to police against these events.

Just last March, the VIP administration purchased a 39-foot, high-speed vessel for the Customs department — the fourth of its kind purchased by the Government of the Virgin Islands.

The latest vessel added to the Customs fleet is called The Searcher. The other vessels in the fleet are PredatorVigilant, and Fearless.

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13 Comments

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  1. UK says:

    Before purchasing that many boats you should have found a place to keep them. What about mariners?

    Like 14
  2. Rubbish says:

    Tell customs department and their hungry officers go sit down from they can’t pay for nada in this country because they all brokes and starving so when people come by the ports with their belongings they over charge them and beg them for their belonging

    Like 10
    Dislike 4
    • Whouuuuuuyyyy says:

      Only Mr Smith and Green the two out of a entire department have anything 2 show for them self I heard it have man in their working 15 to 20 years and self don’t make 2k a month lol bunch of clowns in uniforms they starving while one boss and management eating alone I don’t feel for them either because they brain wash and foolish and badminded

      Like 5
      Dislike 1
  3. Blah says:

    But we want independence? Every SFC for the last 20 years have been a repeat of the previous. Excuses excuses but somehow the millions are spent every year. Shameful!

    Like 16
  4. Wrong mission says:

    HMS Customs is overextended by their ridiculous mission to enforce maritime border security. The RVIPF under the Governor’s Office are the marine force to maintain and enforce border security NOT Customs!

    Like 17
    Dislike 1
  5. Virgin Gorda says:

    Need a presence in North Sound. There is an abandoned government building with a dock in Gun Creek. Did you forget about that??
    North Sound is one of the largest ports in the Caribbean and the BVI keeps forgetting it exists. Not only is this the home to all the Mega Yachts, but it is quickly becoming the hang for all the go-fast-boats and their posse.
    These people need to get out of their suits and Air Conditioning and check out the bits of the BVI that are not in Road Town. This story is so dumb it incredible…incredible, but not at all surprising.

  6. Bigger boat says:

    Customs needed a bigger boat to haul those fridges and washer/dryer sets in from STT duty-free.

  7. Nanny Cay says:

    Customs has made so many friends in the marine industry lately especially at Nanny Cay I’m sure they could get a nice deal on some slips. There’s a fuel dock and lots of businesses to support maintenance on the boats here too….

  8. Facts says:

    Custom officers is the laughing stock of the bvi all them stripes on their shoulders and positions don’t mean anything outside of custom to the banks to the public to the person they harassing and over charging not even to finance our to the government in power means nada they just laughing stocks

  9. Windy says:

    Such expensive tricked out boats and nowhere to keep them. Planning & preparation… nonexistent in the BVI

  10. Port Boy says:

    All they need are a few trailers to put them on out by the road after they break down like all the others.

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