Stolen Government Hilux Recovered, Thief Escapes
Howell Gillett
Belmopan Police are one step closer to solving the baffling case of government vehicles stolen in broad daylight and with complete disregard for scrutiny or security. This morning, the brazen thief tried to make off with a 2011 Toyota Hilux assigned to the Ministry of Archaeology, but his luck ran out. He was spotted leaving the compound, the police were called and a secure net was set up on all possible escape routes. The driver in the ‘permanently borrowed’ Hilux smelt the rat as he neared a hastily assembled checkpoint at Georgeville. He abandoned the vehicle and headed for the bush and escaped. But that escape might be a temporary thing, since the Officer Commanding the Belmopan Police Superintendent Howell Gillett told News Five that they know exactly who they’re looking for.
Supt. Howell Gillett, O.C., Belmopan Formation
“We had a plan. Since we learned a lot of lessons from the previous vehicles that were stolen, we had a plan in place. That plan was effectuated this morning when I got the call that a vehicle was stolen from the Department of Archaeology, NICH to be exact. And that plan was immediately activated. We had the support from Belmopan police, we had NICH staff; we had San Ignacio and Benque Viejo who came in to assist us and the vehicle was intercepted in the village of Georgeville in the Cayo District. Sadly, the driver absconded, but we know who we are looking for. Much DNA was left inside the vehicle so we are hundred percent sure of who we are looking for. And we need this person; we ask that he hands himself in because this investigation is bigger than just this vehicle that was stolen today. We want to get behind all those vehicles that were stolen in recent time and bring some closure to those. Behind the scenes, we were doing our homework and it paid off today and we will continue until we can get to the bottom of it. Some of the things that we are doing behind the scenes cannot be disclosed with the public simply because if the would-be culprits would know of them, then they would try to counter us. So we keep those internally and we’ll continue to work. As a matter of fact as we speak, we have a theory or theories as to what is happening, how these guys are getting keys to these vehicles and we are working on that. So very soon you will hear other people who we believe are involved in this type of crime be brought to justice.”
According to Gillett, they are also investigating from the angle that it is an inside job, and they have the names of persons whom they are looking at closely.
