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Customs says it is probing importer, not the lawmaker
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Posted on Sep 02 2004
Customs Services director Jay Santos yesterday said his office is not investigating a Tinian lawmaker in connection with a container of goods that was allegedly diverted from the Port of Saipan to Tinian’s port.
“Customs is not probing any lawmaker anywhere in the CNMI,” Santos said. “Customs does have an investigation for the [goods’] importer.”
Santos refused to reveal the identity of the importer pending the completion of the probe possibly late this week.
A Tinian lawmaker had allegedly intervened so that an incoming container would evade inspection by Customs officers on Saipan. The lawmaker, who was not identified, allegedly persuaded Customs inspectors to conduct their inspection instead on Tinian. The Customs inspectors reportedly agreed but they rushed to Tinian to supervise the inspection. It was there that they allegedly discovered loads of cartons of cigarettes inside the container, which were apparently not declared as part of the shipment for taxation purposes.
Santos said the container also included foodstuff, shoes and other general merchandise. The shipment arrived in the Commonwealth last Aug. 12.
Santos said that, based on regulations, an importer could provide the division with necessary documents up to seven days from the time the goods arrived.
“Customs doesn’t want to impede commerce. We have Customs agents [on] Tinian and Rota who are capable of conducting inspections and assessing goods for taxation,” Santos said. “We are the CNMI Customs Service—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.”
“It was never our intent to implicate any lawmaker,” Santos said. As of yesterday, he said the ongoing probe has yet to unearth any wrongdoing regarding the concerned shipment.
