The Customs Department has uncovered what it suspects to be cases of fraud in relation to the import of luxury cars into the country duty free using fraudulent Special Economic Recovery Zone (SERZ) orders. The matter was made public by former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis who called for an investigation.

Munroe told ZNS News that the Customs Department has been investigating the matter. He said, “to date we’ve been able to seize 30 high end vehicles in New Providence and two of the other islands. While the investigation is an ongoing one which we have discovered in several cases is that persons engaged to purchase vehicles on behalf of others have paid the required import revenue to the agent for the customs clearance of the vehicles. However, the agents submitted on their behalf fraudulent SERZ orders with their customs declaration and were able, at first instance, to clear the vehicle and the concession.”

According to the Comptroller $435,889.07 had been collected on the seized vehicles and 4 of the 30 seized vehicles remain in custody with an outstanding balance of $200,000.02. “While there were persons who sought to circumvent the payment of revenue by illegitimate means we ought not to allow that to overshadow the fact that by far the vast majority of persons who imported vehicles under the SERZ order were in full compliance with the import requirement,” Munroe said.

Upon completion of the investigation the files are expected to be turned over to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

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