A prominent Grenadian businessman has called on the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to pay close attention to several of the operators posing as businessmen in the Car Dealership trade on the island.
The businessman called THE NEW TODAY in the wake of the execution Monday of Vincentian national Dexter Chance who was considered to be a reputed major drug dealer in the Eastern Caribbean but had set up a car dealership business in Grenada.
Chance had also operated a similar enterprise in St Vincent & The Grenadines before getting into trouble with law enforcement officials in the British Virgin Islands.
According to the businessmen, he suspects that some of the so-called Car Dealers on the island are using the business as a cover to wash their money derived from the illegal drug trade and are nothing but “drug dealers.”
He said that Steele’s Auto, Mc Intyre Brothers, Geo F. Huggins, Hubbards and Anro are the known legitimate Car Dealers on the island and have their own garages to fix and service vehicles unlike the others posing as Car Dealers.
“There are something like 40-something Car Dealers in Grenada. Where is their Mechanic Shop? Where is their Spare Parts shop?
The businessman charged that some of the local commercial banks are involved in aiding and abetting these so-called Car Dealers.
“The banks are financing and washing the money for these fellahs,” he told THE NEW TODAY.
“All kinds of fellahs on the side of the road are Car Dealers. How are they getting Car Dealership? These guys ever fill out an Income Tax return form? They paying their taxes? What business are they in? I don’t buy that nonsense – they are washing money.”
“All where you turn (on the island) is rent-a-car, rent-a-car – you have about 200 rent-a-car (business) in Grenada. So everybody buying cars, selling cars, renting cars – everybody is a Car Dealer – this is drug money that passes through the country – a straight case of drug money.”
“Where is the FIU? The FIU (is) supposed to be checking on these guys. I want the FIU to investigate all of these laundromatic (businesses) we have in Grenada. We have a lot of business here washing money.”
Over the years, the FIU has charged several persons with Money-laundering especially with theft of money but not any of them is a known and suspected drug dealer.