7 News Belize

Customs “Doubles-Up” On Phenyl-Acetic
posted (May 12, 2010)
On Friday we told you about the container of phenyl-acetic acid at the Port of Belize that customs has placed a stop on. It's still there, but tonight, the news is that it has company; as another container with another 20 tonnes of phenyl-acetic acid came in today.

And guess what? It's for the very same Free Zone business that the first one was addressed to. That's "Angel and Gina" a Zone registered company licensed to sell dry goods and merchandise. But their owners lobbied to the Zone Management and other influential players that they intended to use the chemical to manufacture perfume. That seemed questionable - because there is no perfume manufacturing operation in the zone - and for three weeks - that was enough for customs to resist pressure from political players and attorneys and with-hold the container.

But last week Thursday when international news reported that Mexican authorities had just seized 80 tonnes of phenyl-acetic acid and that it was being used by drug traffickers as a replacement for the now banned psuedo-epehedrine - well, that was just the break customs needed to put a proper red flag on the shipment. So, it is in customs tonight along with the other container which arrived today. Both are from China, and as we said, both destined for Angel and Gina Company. Except that since the news blew up - no one can find the principals of "Angel and Gina" and from what we understand, the attorneys who were trying to clear the first container - they haven't been knocking on Customs' door either.

Tonight, the problem for customs is what will they do with the now 40 tonnes of this chemical? First off, it's not illegal in Belize so they can't just take it and destroy it; second, they don't know quite how to destroy it. While they figure these parts out, the containers remain under seal at the Port. Mexican authorities have reportedly indicated that they will not accept it into their country. Because it is not illegal in Belize, the owners - if they ever show up are still free to re-export it to another country. We'll keep following it.

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