Fiji Revenue and Customs Service chief executive officer Visvanath Das in a press conference at Nasese yesterday confirmed the arrest of three alleged tax official impersonators.

Two suspects were arrested on Friday through the support of the Fiji Police Force.

“The suspects are said to have called a taxpayer asking to be paid $5000 but were later arrested,” Mr Das said.

Yesterday morning another suspect was arrested while accompanying two other people to collect money from a taxpayer.

The other two suspects managed to escape.

Mr Das said that the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service had received more than 20 similar complaints the past two weeks from taxpayers.

“Impersonators have been contacting taxpayers and telling them that in order for Fiji Revenue and Customs Service not to conduct the raid and investigation, the taxpayers could do a settlement by paying a certain amount of money,” he said.

“There is no way we (Fiji Revenue and Customs Service) advise and give a call to taxpayers before conducting a raid.

“It is common sense that if we conduct a raid, we go in without advising.

“These scammers operate in ways where they have asked between $500 to $10,000 and were seen to have been able to contact taxpayers or business people through their targets’ business signage, mobile contacts and names”.

Mr Das confirms that no money has been lost by taxpayers who have complained to Fiji Revenue and Customs Service so far.

Chief of Intelligence and Investigations Assistant Commissioner of Police, Biu Matavou confirmed that two suspects were arrested on Friday.

However, he could not confirm the arrest of the third suspect yesterday.

The alleged suspects are expected to be charged tomorrow, according to Mr Das.

Attempts to get further comments from the Police before this edition went to press were unsuccessful.

Edited by Karalaini Waqanidrola

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