How to "Duck" Immigration 101

[Trinisniper]

Real madness in this country yes. How can a nobody, who think he is a somebody continue to get away with arrogance.

Anyway, I hope the express continues to follow up with the headline and the ex- minister gets whats coming to him..

GLENN BROKE RULES
Report details how Ramadharsingh breached Customs but ex-minister insists he did no wrong

By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Apr 19, 2015 at 10:49 PM ECT
Story Updated: Apr 20, 2015 at 5:34 AM ECT

A four-page report detailing how former minister of the people and social development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh and his wife Arlene breached Customs and Excise is now in the hands of Head of Protocol Joan Brammer.
The report was written by facilitation officers Cherisse Blandin and Rae-Ann Alphonse of the Airports Authority of T&T (AATT) and submitted on April 9 to Brammer shortly after the breach by the Ramadharsinghs.
The report, which has been obtained by the Express, states that Ramadharsingh and his wife Arlene breached Customs regulations by not being cleared by Customs and Excise upon their arrival at Piarco International Airport on April 9.
The couple had returned from a swim meet in St Kitts, in which Ramadharsingh had participated.
The Express yesterday reported exclusively that Customs and Excise had launched a probe into the incident.
Efforts to contact Brammer were unsuccessful.
Ramadharsingh who was contacted by the Express last Wednesday denied he and his wife were not cleared by Customs.
In a text to the Express last Wednesday, Ramadharsingh stated:
“Further to your comment earlier that I did not pass through Customs, I wish to state that there is absolutely no truth to this statement at all. You can contact the Customs and Excise Division where you will find documentary evidence of the declaration I made to the Customs on Thursday 9th April 2015.
“Kind regards.”

Following publication of the story yesterday, Ramadharsingh issued the following media release:
“I wish to state for the records that in the past, both as a Minister of Government and as an MP, I have always followed all the relevant protocols on arrival and departure at the airport, in immigration, at customs and excise, and have always displayed respect for those who provide me with the laid down procedure through the VIP Lounge. It has never been, is not now, and will never be in the future my intention to disregard those systems. To say otherwise, as suggested in the article, is totally false and misleading.
“I wish to state categorically my declaration form was given to the Customs and Excise Division for me and my family and they allowed me to leave with my luggage. The report contained in the Express is totally untrue”.

The four-page report, however, contradicts Ramadharsingh’s recollection of the events.
Efforts to contact Ramadharsingh yesterday were unsuccessful.
The report states that on April 9, 2015, “Mr Ramadharsingh and Arlene Maharaj arrived on Liat LI 523 at 10.25 pm.
“They were met in the diplomatic line in Immigration Hall by a Facilitation Officer from the Diplomatic Reception Lounge, after which they were escorted to the VIP room to meet his welcoming party.
“The group indicated they wished to make a presentation to Mr Ramadharsingh and take pictures . They were given a few moments in the VIP room to do so. The officer retained Ramadharsingh’s diplomatic passport and Customs Declaration form, while Arlene kept hers.
“About ten minutes after, the officer returned to the VIP area and found Mr Glenn, his wife and welcoming party had vacated the room, without informing personnel present in the lounge.
“After questioning the security officer posted outside the lounge, it was discovered the group left five minutes before.
“A search was made in the public areas, both inside and outside the Atrium, in addition to contacting the protocol and facilitation co-ordinator at her home to request a telephone number to reach Mr Ramadharsingh; efforts to contact the others were unsuccessful”.
The report added, “Further searches to the Atrium led to the observation of two persons who were part of the welcoming party. Radha Salick and another female.
“Ms Salick had in her possession the passport and declaration of Ms Maharaj. She told authorities both had already left the airport and she was instructed by Mr Ramadharsingh to hand in Ms Maharaj’s declaration form and to retrieve their checked luggage.
“After being told by the Facilitation Officers that the proper procedure wasn’t adhered to and the passengers ought not to have left without clearing Customs, Ms Salick indicated Mr Ramadharsingh was tired and wished to leave and may not have been aware of the procedures”.
“The declaration form and passport were taken from Ms Salick and together with Mr Ramadharsingh’s, taken to the Customs Collector, Ms Joseph, who asked for the passengers.
“After being told by the facilitation officers the location was unknown, Ms Joseph became annoyed, collected the declaration forms and returned the passport .
“She indicated she wished to see Ms Salick about collecting the checked baggage and Ms Salick was escorted into Customs Hall by the Facilitation Officer.
“After telling Ms Salick of the breaches committed by Mr Ramadharsingh and Ms Maharaj, Ms Joseph asked to speak with Mr Ramadharsingh to obtain his permission to release the luggage to Ms Salick.
“After speaking with Mr Ramadharsingh on the phone and informing him of the infringement of Customs regulations, Ms Joseph made arrangements for the luggage to be handed over to Ms Salick, who was then allowed to leave Customs Hall”.
The Express, following information received on the breach, had contacted AATT chairman Jason Julien last Thursday afternoon.
Julien, during a brief interview had said: “I was briefed only when you enquired. I asked of management what happened and managements provided me with a verbal report about the incident on what transpired.”
Julien was also asked whether Ramadharsingh had been cleared by Customs and he said, “Based on the report I received, it appears that he did not and it appears from the report he would have left the airport without going through Customs.”
Last year, police were also investigating a report of disorderly behaviour by Ramadharsingh on board a domestic flight from Tobago to Trinidad on March 16.
In that incident, Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) flight attendant Ronelle Laidlow, 25, had filed a complaint that the former minister’s hand touched her breast when he reached for her ID badge, which was pinned to her blouse, and threatened to have her fired.
Two official reports were made by the flight attendant—to the security department of the AATT and the Piarco police sub-station.
Ramadharsingh subsequently apologised for his behaviour , saying he was suffering from “severe fatigue” but denied touching Laidlow or threatened to have her fired.
He was subsequently fired by the Prime Minister on March 25.

EMBARKATION AND DISEMBARKATION OF
PASSENGERS AND OTHER PERSONS
Chapter 78.01

Section 97
Every person disembarking from any aircraft or ship which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and is not alongside any jetty,quay or wharf, shall proceed in a licensed drogher or ship’s boat or a drogher’s boat licensed as such, or a boat belonging to the State or a licensed motor launch, or a boat propelled by oars and licensed to carry passengers under the Harbours Act, by the most direct route to the place prescribed for the landing of baggage, or such other place as the Comptroller may in any special circumstances permit, and there disembark and proceed to the place appointed for the examination of baggage, or to such other place as the proper Officer may direct and there remain until he has received the permission of the proper Officer to leave the Customs area.

Section 98
Except as provided in regulation 97, every person disembarking from an aircraft or ship, which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago shall proceed forthwith to the place appointed for the examination of baggage or to such other place as the proper Officer may direct and there remain until he has received the permission of the proper Officer to leave the Customs area.

Section 99
The provision of regulations 97 and 98 shall apply to any person who has gone on board or alongside any aircraft or ship which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and who returns on shore.

[area6]

You feel it easy out here lol

[Crackpot]

Nowadays some ppl are more "equal" than others, this is just the latest display of arrogance by those who feel governance equals being above the law

[src1983]

I don't see how it is his problem

Its customs duty to oversee entry and exit. If they past customs, customs should be investigating how did he pass not spinning it as to who passed.

[Redman]

My question is why does a MP who left the country on private biz-he went to swim a cross harbor...enjoy a welcoming party on his return?

And I agree with src-it eh Glen fault he duck who ever responsible -How did it happen and why ??

[SMc]

I though Immigration was responsible for gets in and out and Customs was responsible for what they bring or take with them (or at least control and tax)

anyway whaever

[zoom rader]

PNM nit picking

[src1983]

If I was government I would have used this issue to revamp the whole of customs

[SR]

Customs at the aiport tend to profile people .......certain officers suffer from a jealousy syndrome and if you travel often you would realise somtimes its faster to go in the red line and say you have nothing to declare and open up your luggage rather than take the long green line to be told go get all your luggage scanned.....

[src1983]

I always use the red line

[1UZFE]

i tawt Orangefox got another account.

[Daran]

Anyone not getting that this is Custom's fault and not Glen's fault.....kinda putting egg on their face by this going public.

[Habit7]

*after being held by police for larceny*



"You see officer, it is Pricesmart's fault. How else could I have left Pricesmart with a flat screen under my arm without a sign receipt. Pricesmart needs to strengthen their security and I deserve my TV, if I broke any law, it was inadvertent."

[zoom rader]

Never had any problems with customs, just obey their instructions and don't give them any mouth..
From time to time I get sent to scan with one item which often is a rucksack.
Sometimes there's a skinny dark raj officer who looks like a rum bottle, if he's on duty he sending you weather or not if you have hand bag or 3 cases for a scan . Don't think the other officers like him much.
Also what I notice is that flights from UK British airways don't get hassle, CAL UK flights gets scanned .US flights gets scan to the max. They normally send groups of 5 to scan, so position yourself not to get scan.
Trinis are the worst travellers , always with oversized cases and multiple loads.

[src1983]

*after being held by police for larceny*



"You see officer, it is Pricesmart's fault. How else could I have left Pricesmart with a flat screen under my arm without a sign receipt. Pricesmart needs to strengthen their security and I deserve my TV, if I broke any law, it was inadvertent."

Nominated for idiotic statement of 2015

Pricesmart core business is retailing goods.

Customs and immigration core duties and business is to monitor and protect exit and entry to our country.

A more appropriate example is a guy walks in with a gun into a police station passing the jail watch and shooting a prisoner then walking out.

[Habit7]

A more appropriate example is a guy walks in with a gun into a police station passing the jail watch and shooting a prisoner then walking out.

Sure it is

[Gem_in_i]

So how they let tht slide tht she left her passport and customs form and then they released her luggage.

He had diplomatic passport

[pioneer]

Strong thread title to post content ratio.

[pete]

*after being held by police for larceny*



"You see officer, it is Pricesmart's fault. How else could I have left Pricesmart with a flat screen under my arm without a sign receipt. Pricesmart needs to strengthen their security and I deserve my TV, if I broke any law, it was inadvertent."

From the article it seems that he left his luggage and his documents with someone to submit. So it's more like he left his bank card and the tv with someone to buy for him and left in that Pricesmart situation. Customs job is to check the cargo, he left someone in charge of clearing it for him.

I'm surprised that the VIP lounge is before the customs area though. Is it that you go there, wait for your bags to be brought for you and then leave? If it's a regular thing then why isn't there an officer at the exit at all times?

[88sins]

i had to do a double take yes

ched title had me thinkin orangefox started givin free immigration avoidance tips on tuner

[Lance]

Didn't you guys get the nation wide memo? Laws are solely meant to be enforced not obeyed.

The Ministry of National Security is now embarking on a massive police recruitment drive. We need 1.35 Million Officers. One for each citizen.