Vaz says relief items sent by Buju Banton were not stolen at airport

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is disputing a claim that relief items sent by reggae superstar Buju Banton for Hurricane Melissa victims was tampered with and items stolen by personnel at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

On Wednesday, Banton posted a video which went viral condemning the actions of the alleged thieves, listing a stove and Starlink device among the missing items from the shipment.

Vaz posted on social media platform X on Thursday morning that an investigation was immediately launched and he was sharing the findings "in the interest of transparency".

The government minister said the goods arrived on Tuesday and were cleared immediately by the customs broker.

"They never went to any room or offsite location. It went straight from the plane on the tarmac to the receiving truck sent for the goods. Items were all wrapped and sealed in the same manner in which they were received," he said.

Vaz said the priority and system put in place since the hurricane ensures quick processing and turnovers. "So these items never left the runway. They went from plane to truck."

He further explained that as a result of the numerous cargo flights received each day, there is no warehousing or relocation of shipments received in most cases.

"For this particular shipment, it went straight to the truck from the runway. Images of all pallets were taken and sent," he said.

Vaz further stated that a cargo manifest that was provided for the shipment had no stove or Starlink devices listed among the items shipped.

He shared the list of items sent and packed on the truck.

"The customs officer who cleared the items confirmed that the pallets were not disturbed nor the seals removed. The sender of the packages provided the list which was cross checked when packing the truck. Nothing was missing or disturbed," Vaz stressed.

The relief shipment was part of a major airlift from South Florida, led by Jamaican-born pilot Captain Barrington Irving Jr, in partnership with the Buju Banton Foundation.

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