Theft at NODS storage facility

Charges are expected to be filed shortly against at least two workers of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), who allegedly stole from the organisation. Police are questioning a driver and a store manager who are accused of stealing relief items from the American Road storage facility of the government agency. They were taken into custody on Friday after the police raided their homes.
Philmore Mullin, director of NODS, said the police were called in after officials at the department heard and confirmed rumours that basic food items and clothing were missing from the storage facility. “I had occasion to speak with the storeroom manager at least three times confirming what I was hearing and he assured me that nothing like that was taking place.
And so, it came to my attention, through a reliable source, that the driver in particular had taken things to his home, so I contacted the police,” Mullin said. Subsequently, an investigation was launched, and some of the missing items were found at the driver’s home and at the home of a colleague. Mullin said some of the items were part of the hurricane Irma relief effort for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and other islands, while some, were being stored for other purposes.
He also disclosed that the organisation is still going through the process of identifying the three vehicle load of items that were recovered from the homes of the two employees. So, far they have been able to identify only 12 items. The director of NODS explained that it is difficult, even with the best of systems, to manage the inventories, especially donations for Barbuda relief which is coming from a variety of donors.
“For example, something comes in at the airport as relief supply, it is left at the airport and then picked up and brought to storage where it is inventoried. What happens between picking up and dropping off is challenging because, in most cases, we don’t have a clue of what is in the package. “What you receive, you have to assume that is what was delivered,” Mullin said. The head of the disaster agency said safety measures at all storage facilities will be reviewed in the coming months and security cameras will be installed.