LAW-ENFORCEMENT officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have seized in excess of 80,000 litres of diesel from the motor vessel “Plumrose.”

According to a release from the GRA, on September 22, 2018, Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) officers of the revenue body conducted a rummage of the vessel and it was discovered that even though the intended use of the vessel was listed as “fishing purposes”, the “Plumrose” was converted for fuel transport.

According to the GRA, the captain and crew of the vessel are currently assisting the body with an ongoing investigation and charges are expected to be laid shortly. The GRA said representatives of the Guyana Energy Agency were contacted and the two agencies are collaborating on the investigation. The revenue authority has also seen a rise in fuel-smuggling over the past few weeks with the interception of additional vessels, which will lead to a substantial sum of revenue being recovered. “The Authority has taken a relentless approach against smuggling and will be working in close collaboration with its sister agencies to minimise these activities,” the body said.

The GRA said over the past year, it has recouped billions of dollars in taxes from seizures and auctions from illegal fuel; the authority said it has also recovered significant sums through action against breaches in motor vehicle concessions and IDAs, and commonly smuggled items which include alcohol, foreign imported chicken and mosquito coils. “The authority wishes to advise these persons to cease and desist from smuggling activities, failing which, instead of accepting fines, the relevant charges will be instituted in a court of law,” GRA said.