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It used to be a common practice that vehicles with blue plates, especially Minister’s vehicles, don’t get stopped at checkpoints – especially Customs checkpoints. But with Customs cleaning up its image and a government elected on an anti-corruption platform, even those Ministerial rides get checked now.

That’s what happened at a Customs checkpoint in Carmelita Village on Friday night. Norman Middleton, who drives for Minister of State in the Ministry of Works Edmund Castro, was stopped and searched in the Ministerial Montero and the Customs team came up with an impressive stash of contraband liquor.

7NEWS has learned that they found 22 bottles of liquor along with four cases of Miller beer stowed inside the luxury SUV. The alcohol was confiscated but as is customary in such cases, charges are not usually brought. But Customs officers at the Northern Border point are under investigation for letting the SUV through as it came loaded – presumably out of the free zone.

And what does his boss have to say? The Honourable Castro was not in the vehicle at the time but says he had sent Middleton out to do some business for him. But he stresses that business was not smuggling alcohol – in fact he says it had nothing to do with alcohol. Castro told us he doesn’t deal with rum and none of the alcohol was for him personally or the Belize Rural North Constituency. He told us that Middleton will have to be suspended for his actions.