11 Indian nationals charged with illegal entry

Charges of illegal entry were formally read to eleven Indian nationals, who appeared in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court today, after being detained by police on Tuesday for entering Belize unlawfully.  Arraigned were thirty-six year old Ghanshyamkumar Patel, nineteen year old Ronakbhai Patel, thirty-one year old Davinder Singh, twenty-two year old Dalbir Singh, thirty-three year old Jagden Singh, twenty-two year old Ashvin Patel, twenty-two year old Navdeep Singh, thirty-four year old Gurjit Singh, thirty-six year old Minaben Patel and nineteen year old Minalben Patel.  The group of nine men and two women was discovered in Santa Elena Town around one a.m., during a routine mobile patrol. Their apprehension succeeds the arrest and detention of a previous group that was nabbed in the area of Spanish Lookout last week.  It is strongly believed that the immigrants are entering the country with assistance from a human trafficking ring operating out of Belmopan.  On Monday, Clifton Hyde, an employee of the British High Commission, was indicted for his role in the smuggling of eleven Indians who crossed the western border illegally.