Fourth Drug Plane Landing in Belize this Month: Police Officer to Be Charged
For the fourth time in a month, a drug plane has been discovered soon after it landed in Belize – and for the second time in that period, at least one police officer has been accused of some level of involvement. Today Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, held a press conference. News Five’s Marion Ali was there.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The burnt remains of a fuselage discovered on a dirt road in the Mountain Pine Ridge area on Sunday morning are the only signs that a plane had crashed landed there. By the time law enforcement authorities got to the scene, all the contents had been removed, except for a few pieces if firearms. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told the media today that the plane was being tracked ever since it left South America and headed in this direction. But, it tracks disappeared off radar detection. By the time it reappeared, the aircraft was already within our airspace. Nonetheless, the JIOC (Joint Intelligence Operating Centre) deployed teams after Mexican law enforcers alerted Belizean authorities of its location in the Pine Ridge area.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“They encountered two vehicles. They were able to stop one and the other managed to escape. The one that they stopped had three occupants, one of whom is a corporal of police who is assigned as security at the DPP office. And the other two persons were from the San Ignacio area. Those persons were detained and are in Police custody at this time.”
Williams said that their investigations also led them to another suspect.
Chester Williams
“We also received information of a third person who was involved who was the driver of the vehicle that managed to evade the team that intercepted the other vehicle and that person is a Mennonite who lives in the Spanish Lookout area and also have a farm not too far from where the plane landed. We were able to detain that person yesterday evening, and we found in his sofa over twelve thousand dollars which she could not account for, and also found the vehicle that had escaped the team that tried to intercept it. However, it was long after he had disposed of the cargo but we have the vehicle I our custody; we have him in our custody.”
The close succession of Belizean police officers being accused of involvement in narco-plane landings has created a bad image for the Belize Police Department, one that Commissioner Williams says he will try to correct. He had a word of caution for corrupt police officers who choose to run afoul of the law.
Chester Williams
“We do have police officers who are working along with the cartels. We can’t run away from it. What I can assure you is that once they manifest themselves, we are going to cut their necks. I’m not going to waste time. Because as a police officer, much more is expected of you and when you venture into these activities, you don’t only embarrass yourself. You embarrass your whole family, the whole nation.”
The detainees will be charged on Tuesday.
Marion Ali for News Five.
