EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AND FRAUD

Colonist, Issue 25, 15 January 1858, Page 3

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AND FRAUD

ON THE CUSTOMS IN BELFAST. A painful feeling was excited in commercial circles in Belfast, on |he 2nd October, by the discovery of one of the most extensive frauds on the revenue that has ever been perpetrated in Ireland. The circumstances are as follow r— An anonymous letter was sent to the Collector of Customs, iri^ winch it was affirmed that, if examination were made into the stock of tea in the bonded warehouse owned by Mr. John J. Moore, in Skipper-street, some remarkable discoveries would be made. A search was accordingly commenced, and it was found that of an immense quantity of tea', stored in that warehouse, comparatively few chests were genuine—that the tea had been removed, and rubbisK substituted, the weight being, in each case, accurately maintained. The search was actively prosecuted up till four o'clock, when close on 1000 fraudulent chests had been discovered. The duty on each chest would average about £6; and this heavy loss will fall on two most respectable merchants in town, who were, unfortunately, securities to the.'revenue for..the amount of the duty on the tea which was supposed to be in the store. In addition to this, it is believed that a large amount of first cost of the tea remains unpaid, and the loss will consequently fall on the parties from whom it was purchased; and we have heard it estimated that the total amount of the fraud which has been perpetrated will be little under, if not above, iglo,ooo. The manner in which the matter was managed was as ingenious asjthas been successful. Tea when landed from China,-is "-usually'in wooden chests; but, to suit.certain trade purposes, the chests are very frequently afterwards covered with canvass, on which are painted marks corresponding with those on the chest beneath. This operation is permitted by the Customs authorities to be performed whilst the goods are in bond. It seems evident that, in the present case, chests, covered with canvas, were filled with bricks, turf-mould, and straw, and prepared; and as the tea arrived, and was warehoused, opportunity was taken to substitute for the genuine chests these' dummies' which were made so similar in appearance as to pass oi^linary inspection. In this way, the tea was abstracted and disposed, of; whilst to offical eyes the quantity of chests in the bonded warehouses appeared all right.

. The Morning Post says:—A belief is very generally entertained that Government will call Parliament together about the month of JSTovember, in order to meet the contingencies of the presant crisis. We can state positively that no such intention exists, and that there is no probability of Parliament meeting before the usual period Her Majesty was enjoying the quietude of Balmoral. The Red Jacket arrived at Liverpool on the 13th October.