A businessman, who was charged in connection with the theft of a container loaded with millions of dollars in appliances, from the wharves, was offered $5 million bail yesterday in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

The accused man is 47-year-old Donald Combs.

Investigators say a container, which was illegally removed from the wharves, was found at Combs' business place, on Molynes Road in St Andrew. The container was reportedly filled with appliances valued at $50 million.

Customs officials and members of the Flying Squad, raided several business establishments in an attempt to recover several containers which were removed from the wharves.

Seventeen persons including customs brokers, truck drivers and wharf workers, were arrested in the sweep, which took the cops to several locations across the country.

It is reported that on several occasions, containers loaded with washing machines, LCD and plasma televisions, refrigerators as well as stereo systems, were illegally removed from the island's ports, without the required customs duties and fees being paid. It is believed that the Government lost about $150 million in revenues because of the scam.

Combs is to return to court on September 14.