Petrina Francis & Andrew Wildes, Gleaner Writers

In the wake of an attempt to shoot a customs officer as he left work on Friday night, Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker said yesterday that his department remained resolute against corruption.

Walker said the officer, who was recently transferred to the Adolph Levy Warehouse, was fired at in the vicinity of Tinson Pen, Kingston. The bullet went through the head rest in the car seat and the officer managed to escape unhurt.

"We expect that persons who refuse to conform to the rules will resort to intimidation and violence and we will take the necessary steps to protect our people," Walker told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

"What took place there (at the warehouse) was a free-for-all," said Walker, adding that the officer had made significant improvements at the facility. "In no way will we be resiling from the procedures that we have put in place."

Improve security

Walker said his department was moving swiftly to improve security at a berth at Kingston Wharves, where touts and thugs had been threatening customs officers.

"These threats are not to be taken lightly. These notorious touts have freer access to the ports than customs officers," the customs chief said.

A former director of elections, Walker was appointed commissioner of customs last year.

His aim, he said, was to take a tougher stance against those persons who insisted on pursuing corrupt practices in importation.

"I am of the unshakeable view that when caught deliberately evading customs duties, persons should pay the penalty of three times the value of the goods," Walker declared in a letter published in The Gleaner last year. "There are even some cases where these goods should also be forfeited. Mitigation and leniency only lead to the perception of corruption in Jamaica."

Illegal shipments

Meanwhile, the police said they were boosting their efforts in the fight against illegal drugs in light of the the major run on the nation's two international airports by citizens attempting to export illegal drugs in recent months.

The latest incident highlighting the brazen new efforts at exportation at the national airports occurred on Friday at approximately 3:30 p.m. The narcotics police and customs officials intercepted a blue 55-gallon drum at the Amerijet Warehouse, Norman Manley International Airport.

The drum contained over 50lb of compressed ganja, concealed in sealed food items including ackees, fruit juice, oats, crackers, coffee, coco and cheese. The drum was being shipped to St John's, Antigua.