Intercepting Drug Planes are a Matter of Intelligence Gathering

According to Elodio Aragon Junior, the efforts of the police department are compounded by the fact that criminal networks are often in cahoots with other members of law enforcement.  There is mounting pressure, he says, from the public as well as Belize’s international counterparts.

Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State, National Security

Elodio Aragon Jr.

“All of these of these things that are happening are happening on clandestine airstrips, et cetera.  The thing is that the police department has a tremendous task to deal with here, you are talking about drug trafficking, you are talking about drug organizations that are in collusion.  It‘s not only a local issue, it happens here locally but it has implications elsewhere and connections elsewhere and therefore it is challenging when it comes to the investigation of all this.  But I will tell you, we are aware of these that are happening and the police department is working, in terms of their counterparts, to look at how we can deal with this situation but it is challenging.  And I would want to see more and I think the people of Belize would want to see more.  I know the foreign agencies out there want to see more action and I think we have to look at that and I think a lot of this has to do with human resources.  And these are the things, and we had major discussions on that every time and we are looking at strategies on how we can best do that, but a lot of this has to do with intelligence and these things cannot be discussed on the media.”

The most recent incident of a suspected drug plane landing was last Wednesday evening in Tres Leguas, Orange Walk District.