A senior customs officer and two other persons taken into police custody after more than $1 million in US cash and an unlicensed gun was found at the official’s Grand Bahama home have been released.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Reginald Ferguson, said the three suspects were not charged and have been released. He explained that the investigation into the matter is ongoing and officers are presently looking for other individuals who they believe may be involved in the matter.
“All of the persons have been released in that matter pending further investigations. No one has been charged as yet and we are still investigating,” he said. “The focus of the investigation involves a large sum of money that was found on the premises, so the investigation has to determine exactly who is involved in the matter and we have not arrived at that as yet.”
Reportedly, the three individuals were released from police custody sometime on Thursday.
Officials have indicated that they are unsure if they have left the capital and have returned to Grand Bahama.
Acting on an anonymous tip, officers executed a search warrant of the Senior Custom Officer’s property around 11:15 Wednesday morning, in Grand Bahama.
In the raid, police stumbled on an excess of $1 million in US currency, an unlicensed shotgun and a significant amount of ammunition that was on the premises.
Assistant Commissioner of Police and Officer in Charge of Grand Bahama and the Northern Bahamas, Ellison Greenslade, told the Nassau Guardian that the suspects were transferred to Nassau on Wednesday night for further questioning.
“The investigation has been moved to the capital where officers from the Central Detective Unit and Drug Enforcement Unit are continuing (the inquiry),” ACP Greenslade said.
According to a source familiar with the case, who did not want to be identified, the three suspects are related.
“[The custom official] was arrested along with his daughter and his son,” said the source.
The area where the raid took place was not revealed as Grand Bahama officials said the protection of the area was most important, considering that such a large sum of money had been found in the vicinity.
Assistant Commissioner of Police for New Providence, Reginald Ferguson, in the initial stages of the investigation explained that in general circumstances when contraband is found on any particular premises, all individuals who inhabited the home are taken into custody.
After the initial arrest, the Freeport police said the three individuals along with the seized items were transported aboard an OPBAT helicopter to Nassau, where they have now been released. However, Mr Ferguson said, the investigation is ongoing.
By: LaShonne Outten, The Nassau Guardian
