Two city businessmen busted for guns

Two well-known businessmen have been arrested and charged following a search of their establishments in Belize City. Authorities report that between six and ten last night, they conducted an operation at Brad’s Stores on Vernon Street and at the Farmers Market. The search led police to a large sum of money, firearms, ammunition and forged documents. At the Vernon Street establishment they found one nine millimetre pistol along with forty-four rounds of ammunition for which the occupant, thirty-four year old Kim Jen Chee could not produce a license. In addition, police found one pump action shotgun along with thirty-two cartridges and money amounting to twenty-five thousand, eight hundred and fourteen U.S. dollars. Kim Jen was promptly charged with two counts of possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. At the Farmers Market location, forty-year-old Kim Wai Chee was charged with four counts each of possession of forged documents, uttering false documents and forgery after the police discovered copies of four Belizean visas, all of which proved to be fake. It has not been confirmed whether today’s arrests are related to what is believed to be a major investigation of irregularities at the Immigration Department.