On Saturday, November 15, Customs officers who were in a private vehicle and dressed in civilian clothing, spotted a Corozal man they suspect is involved in the contraband smuggling business.
The man, Israel Rancharan, was driving a white 1992 Jeep Cherokee in the vicinity of Coney Drive and Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City when the Customs officers decided to that they would keep him under surveillance.
Apparently, Rancharan was becoming suspicious that he was being followed, so he took evasive action to throw off his pursuers. According to the Comptroller of Customs, Gregory Gibson, his officers decided that they might be onto something, but because they were dressed in civilian clothes they decided to call the police and asked for backup.
Rancharan led the Customs officers to a house in the Kings Park area where he was observed speaking to someone. When the man that he was speaking to left and went back into the house, Rancharan was seen putting a black plastic bag inside a vehicle parked on Gentle Avenue.
Customs and police moved in and quickly detained Rancharan. He was taken to Belize Customs House. When Customs searched the vehicle that he was driving, they found that he was indeed carrying contraband goods.
The story then took another turn. The vehicle that the Customs officers observed Rancharan put the black plastic bag in, turned out to be the police-issued vehicle of a senior police officer. When Customs officers approached Senior Superintendent of Police Robert Mariano, of an address other than Gentle Avenue, he told them that he did not know about the black plastic bag. The plastic bag, it turned out, was the wrapping covering a case of Jamaican Appleton Rum. Customs say that the value of the rum is $804.00. The case of rum contains twelve one liter bottles.
The Police’s top brass have since launched an investigation into the matter. Amandala spoke to Commissioner of Police Gerald Westby, who told our newspaper that the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie, is heading the investigation.
“As soon as the investigation is completed,” Commissioner Westby informed, “the matter will be referred to the Services Commission.”
We made an attempt to speak to Superintendent Mariano this morning. Mariano, however, did not wish to comment on the situation. He told Amandala that because there is an investigation on going, he has been advised not to comment at this point. But, he insists, he has “done nothing wrong.”
As for Rancharan, the Customs officers’ suspicion proved to be right. He was indeed carrying contraband items. He was relieved of three cartons of cigarettes that have a total value of $33,150.00. Inside the Jeep Cherokee, Customs found one carton of Winston cigarettes, one carton of Lucky Gold cigarettes, and one carton of Benson & Hedges.
While officials at the Customs Department are tight lipped about the bust, Amandala has been able to learn from a reliable source that Rancharan’s Jeep Cherokee is being held by Customs. The Comptroller of Customs, however, told us that Rancharan has agreed to an out-of-court settlement.