Low-flying Aircraft Circled But Never Landed on Coastal Road

Allen Whylie

Shortly after the detention of the duo, a team of officers, including police and Belize Defense Force personnel, staked out an area approximately ten miles into the Coastal Road.  There they observed a low-flying aircraft hovering the area.  After circling the vicinity a few times, the single-engine CESSNA changed course and flew south.  On the ground, the team descended on an abandoned vehicle along the same stretch of road, a search of which turned up fifteen bales of cocaine.

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police

“On yesterday’s date, at about one p.m., a joint team of police and B.D.F. observed a CESSNA single engine plane attempting to land in the area of the Coastal Road, approximately about ten miles from the Democracia junction.  However, for some unknown reason, the plane did not land, but instead circled the area three times and the joint team observed it proceeding in a southerly direction.  The joint team then proceeded to search the area where they discovered a silver in color Toyota Prado abandoned in the bushes.  Searches in the area did not reveal any occupants at that vehicle.  A search of this vehicle by the members of the team led to the discovery of fifteen bales of suspected cocaine therein.  The vehicle, along with its contents were secured and escorted into Belize City.  The suspected drugs were counted and it amounted to four hundred and forty parcels which upon being weighed, amounted to four hundred and seventy-nine point one-five kilos of suspected cocaine.  This cocaine has since been deposited as found property.  We have called in the Scenes of Crime, we have done the necessary processing and we have taken the necessary samples for analysis.  As early as we are able to, we will move to have the drugs destroyed through a court order.”