Walker

COMMISSIONER OF Customs Danville Walker warns that his office will launch an all-out attack on persons who try to evade taxes and will have them prosecuted.

Walker was speaking on Thursday at the Customs Tariff and Port Users Committee's annual seminar at the Knutsford Court hotel in St Andrew.

He said the Customs Department continued to be plagued by freight-cutting and the underinvoicing of imported goods by persons trying to beat the tax system.

"Yuh go hear some bawling, yuh know. You might even hear a few people threatening me. Don't worry about that!" a defiant Walker said. "We have a job to do. We are going to carry out that job out without fear or favour!"

To reinforce his point, Walker used the case of a broker who allegedly attempted to defraud the Government of millions of dollars.

"When I did the duty effect for eight months, one person was in charge of the evasion for $237 million," he said.

The case has been referred to the police's Organised Crime Unit, Walker said.

Walker also said that he was in the process of increasing his staff with the training of 35 customs officers.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com