A POLICE investigation into Customs officers has severely damaged relations, according to the director of law enforcements at Customs and Immigration.

Steven Le Marquand has spoken publicly for the first time since five Customs officers were removed from the Joint Intelligence Bureau and investigated over the way in which they handled drug investigations. For four months they were left in limbo and had the burden of a criminal investigation hanging over their heads before they were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.

Mr Le Marquand said that the two forces had been moving forward and working together to improve communication, and that the investigation had taken them by surprise and created ‘massive morale problems’ within the service.

‘At the conclusion of the investigation, not one officer was found to have breached any internal
procedures, let alone acted criminally,’ said Mr Le Marquand. ‘I think that shows that the investigation was unfounded. You can’t get away from the fact, however, that relations between the police and Customs have been severely damaged by what happened.’

The police declined to comment but in the past have always said that they had grounds to investigate as there were some concerns about the way that certain intelligence had been handled when it was received by Customs officers.