BVI News

Another aircraft detained for breaking Customs laws

File photo of an aircraft leaving the TB Lettsome International Airport.

The Customs Department yet again has detained another aircraft at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport for breaking Customs regulations.

Commissioner Wade Smith said the aircraft arrived from Puerto Rico last Wednesday with cargo for a business place in Road Town.

The cargo did not go through the normal Customs procedure but was collected.

Smith said the pilot, a Puerto Rican, was fined $10,000 for breaking the Customs Management and Duties Act.

Just more than two weeks ago, Customs had detained an aircraft and fined the St Lucian pilot $10,000 for breaking Customs regulations.

At that time, the aircraft that came from St Lucia brought cargo for a worker at the TB Lettsome International Airport.

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18 Comments

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  1. Fines says:

    Has the relevant business also been fined for trying to circumvent the customs duty?

    Like 41
    Dislike 1
    • Bratswaite says:

      And some of them get away because of who they are. Still waiting on the outcome of the missing aircraft that left the BVI for Antigua and never made it

  2. What!!!! says:

    Surely the owner of the business who had cargo collected without paying dity should also face criminal charges?

    Like 38
    Dislike 1
  3. VI Gyal says:

    where can one find this act?

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  4. So what says:

    About the airport worker in this instance, the pilot couldn’t be the only one? You squeeze the other worker weeks ago for goods that weren’t even his nor he knew it wasn’t declared.

  5. Rubber Duck says:

    Smith and his crew just love harassing businesses and tourists for minor transgressions of their convoluted rules.

    When did they ever catch a drug dealer?

    Like 17
    Dislike 4
    • @rubber duck says:

      you cannot catch yourself when you are a civil servant but have a power boar worth in excess of $500,000.00

      Like 10
    • Gollum says:

      I know we all love to pile on the guys at the airport but it really isn’t a convoluted rule that when you bring stuff in on a plane it needs to go through customs and not just get thrown over the fence or bypass customs. I don’t think anyone seriously thinks that’s right.

  6. BVI Future says:

    These airplanes are circumventing the sky to test how much they can get away with before they bring in the drugs. The drug dealers know that the borders are being protected, so they are testing the sky. The BVI did not have this problem before.

    Like 8
    Dislike 2
  7. MR FUTURE says:

    YOU FORGOT PAST AND THE PRESENT WHICH WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW / AND IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS – SO YOU BETTER COME BACK TO THE PRESENT FROM THE FUTURE WHICH YOU ARE IN ?

  8. Bvi says:

    Just goes to show what was happening before COVID-19. No wonder the BVIAA went broke!!! Those airport employees really get lax with themselves. How come we ain’t hear of charges for the business owner like the airport employee??!!

  9. MR FUTURE says:

    YOU FORGOT PAST AND THE PRESENT WHICH WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW / AND IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS – SO YOU BETTER COME BACK TO THE PRESENT FROM THE FUTURE

    WHICH YOU ARE IN ? ( OK)

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  10. BVI Future says:

    The problem with the COI investigating activities in Tortola started many years ago when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for the extradition for some Torlans, and the NDP said no. The USA and the UK have a strong diplomatic relationship. They are superpower of the world, and little Tortola and the Premier are no match for them. The UK was waiting and looking patiently for a reason to intervene.

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  11. Jah says:

    Dammit now I won’t be getting my Puerto Rican “coffee”

  12. BuzzBvi says:

    The person arranging and receiving the goods from this smuggling operation did not get arrested and charged? Is that right?

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