Desrond Brown, a customs officer assigned to the Customs Department in St James, was recently arrested and charged with two counts of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act.

The allegations are that in June of 2004, a female complainant was deported from England to Jamaica. She was subsequently found to be in possession of a fraudulent passport.

Misleading dates

This passport was stamped inappropriately on two occasions between 2004 and 2005 by an immigration officer assigned to St James to reflect misleading dates of arrival. A total of $23,000 was reportedly paid to provide the service.

On September 9, 2005, Brown is accused of assisting the complainant to evade customs and immigration officials and checkpoints at the Sangster International Airport. She then attempted to board a flight to New York but was held by other immigration officials.

The matter was subsequently referred to the Anti-Corruption Branch for investigation and a ruling was later obtained from the director of public prosecutions which led to Brown's arrest on January 30 in Montego Bay.

A warrant is out for the arrest of the immigration officer in question.