Guats demand return of drug chopper

The case of a high powered helicopter found abandoned in the Toledo District has morphed from the mysterious to the contentious as law enforcement agencies from two countries lay claim to the valuable aircraft. Whereas yesterday there was only speculation concerning the Bell 206 LongRanger discovered on the north bank of the Sarstoon River, today the Guatemalan government has come forward with its own explanation. According to Guatemalan Ambassador to Belize, Antonio Castellanos, around noon on Monday, Guatemalan authorities in jet fighter planes pursued a helicopter believed to be running drugs to Mexico over the Peten. They ordered the chopper to land and when the aircraft didn’t, they fired several shots. At least two of those bullets hit the helicopter and it made an emergency landing on the Belize side of the Sarstoon River, approximately twenty-five metres from the bank. A Guatemalan patrol boat in the vicinity immediately responded and arrived in time to confiscate five hundred kilos of cocaine that the drug dealers had dumped into the river before they fled the area. Castellanos says later that night the Guatemalan Government verbally notified Belizean authorities of the incident and requested support in securing the helicopter as evidence. Belize dispatched a patrol to the area which remains on site standing guard over the chopper. And while there is no dispute that the helicopter is definitely in Belize, Guatemalan officials say they want the aircraft “returned” because of its Guatemalan registration and the need to preserve the forensic evidence before it is destroyed by the elements. They have sent the Government of Belize a diplomatic note formalizing the request. And while Belize has acknowledged receipt of that note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says for now, that helicopter isn’t going anywhere. As the country with jurisdiction, the Belize Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter under the charges of illegal entry and illegal landing. According to Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Sylvester, there are standard communication protocols for military-to-military contact during hot pursuits, but somewhere down the line communications failed as Belize was not informed of the incident until a full eight hours later. And while some observers on the Belize side have viewed the Guatemalan scenario with some scepticism–particularly as regards the final disposition of the helicopter’s cargo and crew–the weight of tradition, not to mention common sense, suggests that the chopper belongs to Belize. As in every other case of an abandoned aircraft found on our territory, all the rightful owner has to do is come forward and claim his or her vehicle…and explain how it got there. Failing that, the helicopter goes to the highest bidder.