Georgetown: Persons smuggling vehicles have been issued a stern warning by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur.
He said vehicles being smuggled from Suriname and Brazil into Guyana have been on the radar and persons apprehended will be facing the courts.
The GRA boss said the agency has been working with the Brazilian and Surinamese authorities to arrest the illegal trade.
In some instances, Guyanese would themselves purchase the vehicles in the neighbouring countries, fit them with false licence plates, and bring them to Guyana.
Sattaur said continued emphasis is being placed on smuggled vehicles in the country through the Suriname and Lethem routes, noting that there has been a significant reduction in vehicles smuggled from Suriname to Guyana.
Sattaur was cognisant of the fact that persons often engage in nefarious activities to keep these vehicles here. “If a vehicle is to remain here, it will not have the same number plate it came with, the person would have fixed a Guyanese number plate on the vehicle, which is very difficult to detect at times.”
He said vehicle owners are usually given a certificate granting their vehicles a three-week period in the country, adding that in some cases, persons who wish to stay longer request an additional week or two to have their vehicles in the country, and the GRA facilitates this.
He disclosed that the GRA has been able to catch a few persons who engage in these illegal activities, warning others involved in the trade that they will be caught sooner or later.
If a person is caught with an illegal vehicle, the vehicle will be confiscated and put up for public auction. Additionally, the culprit may have to pay a fine triple the worth of the vehicle.
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