By Erica Virtue, Staff ReporterA NETWORK link between Jamaica Customs and the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) since mid-March has dented significantly the activities of criminals who steal motor vehicles locally and overseas, register them on forged documents and then re-sell.
The computer link has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of vehicles being registered with forged Customs Entry Forms (C78), which shows the details of importation. In fact, the number of vehicles involved has dropped from 260 in the last two years to zero up to May 31, according to Commissioner of the Revenue Protection Division (RPD), Mike Surridge.
He said the numbers have fallen steadily from 17 in January, 11 in February, five in March to zero in April and May.
In an interview with The Gleaner on Friday, Mr. Surridge said the racket, which has forced the RPD, Jamaica Customs and the IRD to introduce the system, was affecting unsuspecting individuals.
"When we began our investigations to find out who was responsible, we found that an operation was in place which was producing false documents and (insurance) cover notes," he said.
According to Mr. Surridge, the scam involved the wholesale forgery of C-78 forms, certificates of fitness, and cover notes usually issued by insurance companies.
The cover notes indicated that vehicles were insured to be on the roads, the C-78 showed details of the importation, including the payment of all duties, and the certificates of fitness showed that the vehicles were fit to be on the road.
"We found that the owners had no knowledge of the process. And, we have found that everything was done for the buyers, and the vehicles were simply handed over to them," Mr. Surridge said.
With the new network link, once an individual goes to the IRD to register a vehicle, officials will be able to tap into Jamaica Customs' network and establish the authenticity of the C-78 forms used to import the vehicle.
According to Mr. Surridge, the exercise was introduced to protect individuals who were buying vehicles not previously registered in Jamaica. He urged motor vehicle owners-to-be to call the RPD and they would be able to provide details on whether the vehicle was correctly imported. Failure to do so could result in the seizure of the vehicles, he said.
He said also that in many instances victims had turned out to be persons who could not afford to absorb the loss of their vehicles.
But, while the network link has blocked one loophole, it has apparently opened another.
"Since the introduction of the system, we have noticed a dramatic increase in vehicles registered allegedly from imported clips," Mr. Surridge said.
He said there were Jamaicans who had licences to manufacture vehicles from imported parts, but the RPD had noticed a dramatic increase in the number of C-78 forms for the importation of clips. There was also an increase in the number of documents from General Consumption Tax (GCT) to show that assessments had been done. He said the RPD suspected that forgery was involved and was investigating the matter.
Asked if thieves had a preference for particular vehicles, he said all types of vehicles were stolen overseas, particularly pick-up trucks. Toyota Corollas were still the cars most likely to be stolen, he said.
