Two Customs Officers Arrested, Placed On Leave
The police have confirmed that two Customs officers have been place on leave after being arrested last week in connection with separate police investigations.
A police spokesperson said, “Two Customs officers have been placed on administrative leave by H.M. Customs after each was arrested last week in connection with separate proactive police investigations.
“Both individuals have since been released on police bail pending further enquiries. No additional comment regarding these matters can be made at this time.”
Things that make you go Hmmmmm!!!!!!
Are they getting Paid?
If yes and are found guilty of wrong doing, the money paid to them in the interim, should have to be paid back.
Interesting but not surprising. I always wondered why the public never question what the Collector of Customs is doing to secure the borders effectively all the while criticizing the Police Commissioner every time there is a shooting. Control of the borders lies squarely with the Collector of Customs. Guns, ammunition and drugs are smuggled into Bermuda and it appears that the Collector of Customs is more focused on targeting the traveler who hasn’t declared a pair of socks. Will the Collector of Customs release stats on the amount of drug Customs officers have seized and from where? Is there a robust, or any, training plan for Customs officers? What is the Collector of Customs doing to target, yes target officers who are suspected of being corrupted? Are there officers who are not trusted to work in certain areas due to suspicion of corruption? Just who is the senior management team at Customs and what experience do they have? It must be very frustrating for the hard working customs officers to see suspected problem officers simply transferred around the department….
We trust people to help secure our island aand rid us of stuff like drugs, guns n amunition. When we think we sleeping in peace…..wham!!! The ones we trust are basically assistng to ruin our island with this illegal stuff. At the end of the day it boils down to the $$…the root of all evil. From the time they are arrested until the time they are convicted, if they are, they should get paid but if found guilty the amiunt of salary paid out between thise times should be paid back or assets to the tune of that amount should be confiscated. I know times are hard n people will resort to doing certain things to make ends meet…but certainly not at the expense of our children, our seniors, and those less fortunate still. How selfish of a de ision can one make at the expense of our children who could have gotten caught up with those drugs or caught in the firing line of the gun. Penalties need to be sooooooo much stiffer…before innocent bodies get stiff as a result of the mess that is being smuggled into our island!
Two Corrections Officers were arrested for alleged corruption recently. The Courts must take a firm stand against those who when put in the position of trust choose to be involved in nefarious activities.
This what we read is only the iceberg, are you all ready?
This is only smoke, you sheep sleep when the fox moves. watch the left hand, lemons
The public does not know anything about Customs. Who are the leaders or senior management team? We never hear anything about them what do they stand for? That organization needs leadership
You don’t hear from them because they hide behind the police When drugs and guns are littering the streets and people are getting murdered, the public outcry is directed towards the police. However, it is Customs that is responsible for keeping this stuff out. Maybe Im wrong, but I’ve never seen them hold a press conference or address the public on their strategic plan to secure our borders. Do they even have one?
VJ you are correct that the Collector and her senior management team have never stood in front of the cameras to explain their strategic plan to keep our borders safe. They have also never had to explain the proliferation of drugs and guns in the island when it is their remit to secure our borders. I am curious about what management training have the senior managers of Customs received? What continuing training is provided to the hard working Customs officers or does it stop after their initial training? The news of the arrest of two customs officers should prompt members of the public to ask some serious questions and demand answers. Every organization can have ‘bad apples’ but an organization that does nothing to get rid of ‘bad apples’ has a lot of explaining! One must wonder who and what the Collector of Customs is focusing on. Again, all of this must be very frustrating and demoralizing for the hard working, honest customs officers.
you all think the people that are caught are the big fish?
The hand that holds the “Gun /Drugs “, is not always the hand that pulls the trigger. Those in authority know who the Kingpins are . They also know where every drug-house in Bermuda is .As one senior retired M.P. once said to me when challenged about drugs in the prison ,”And what , are we suppose to do with 300 men coming down from drugs ? ” Bermuda haves some hard decisions to make. Are we going to allow drugs to flow as freely as alcohol ? Again, Is all this activity just to stop the small man from cashing in on the action , while a group of rogue cops run the show? Agree or did- agree, we all have to admit that drugs have a free flow in Bermuda. You can buy them at anytime and anywhere in Bermuda. There is no shortage. Why ? We only have two ports of entry, or are there more?
You do know that there is corruption on every level of humanity right?
Now was this corruption, premeditated..? or was it coercion..?
If one could tell during an interview for the position of a customs officer that the applicant is not suitable, he/she is not hired. During the course of their duties, they are exposed to temptation, will they fall for it or not, time will tell. Its quite rare that the person you work alongside of, that it is immediately obvious the first day or first year that they are involved in some kind of wrongdoing. When it come to border protection, we think of the docks and the airport, have we thought of the two hundred plus boats that can go out to sea. So you see the possibilities are there. The customs/police have to spend some time observing the two custom officers (now arrested)…there is a process ..it wasn,t like lets go out there and arrest somebody. In the past persons from various public offices have been terminated or resigned cause their conduct was un-professional bordering along the lines of criminal or actually criminal. The investigating officers need to be commended for their diligence. In recent years we did have a Housing Corporation situation, whereby only one person went to prison, the evidence of some witnesses was interesting, but only one person went to prison….So there are challenges on various fronts.
I hope you all recognise that the customs department is and has been working understaffed, under budgeted and with next to no tools or equipment? staff are not being paid what EU laws state they should. they should be receiving AT LEAST cost of living increases to keep up with rising costs in order to deter from corruption. this is what happens when police get new everything all the time, bigger budgets and more staff and the people on the FRONT LINES get nothing. in fact they get it all taken from them. let that sink in for a bit.
eegrunt – nonsense. The BPS budget has been cut for at least the past 4 consecutive years. They are down to the lowest staffing level in recent memory. Every government department can decide on how it spends its budget – including Customs. If Customs officers do not have the tools they need – blame The Collector of Customs – not the BPS. Please refer us all to where the EU speaks to what salary people should be paid to deter corruption? To infer that there is corruption in Customs due to no cost of living increase is insane. Your pen name is very appropriate….