Police Say Sample Taken from Downed Jet
The suspected drug plane that was found on the San Estevan/Progresso Road early on Tuesday morning has been removed and flown to the B.D.F. Air Wing across from the Phillip Goldson International Airport. A pilot, a Belizean American from Punta Gorda, was contracted to fly the twin engine Hawker Suddeley HS 125. Earlier today, the jet lift off was captured by video and widely circulated on social media. The video shows the plane as it took off from the recently upgraded road and flown to the P.G.I.A. from where it was moved to the air wing where it will be kept as investigations continue. At a press conference this morning, the police finally confirmed some details of the jet already known adding that samples have been taken to determine if the plane was transporting drugs.
Joseph Myvett
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“On Tuesday, the twenty-fourth April, shortly before five a.m., police received information of an aircraft that had landed on the San Estevan/Progresso Dirt Road. As a result, police proceeded to the area where on arrival they observed a white in color twin engine Hawker Siddeley HS125 series 700A aircraft on the ground. The area was secured and later processed. Upon inspection of the aircraft, it was found that only the pilot seat was affixed inside the aircraft; the remainder of the seats was removed and there were no other content. The police conducted extensive searches in the area and no other item related to the aircraft was found.”
Reporter
“Give the nature of the particular discovery and especially because the seats and the other aspects of the cabin were removed, do police suspect that this plane was used to offload some illicit cargo, possibly drugs?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Well samples were taken from within the cabin of the aircraft which will determine more of less if the cargo was related to drugs.”
Reporter
We had heard that police or at least the Belize authorities, the National Security Ministry, had identified someone who would be able to move this aircraft from the location where it was to a more secure location. Is that indeed accurate and is there any particular time set up to move this aircraft?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“No I do not have that information, but I know that this is still an ongoing investigation and it is an intense investigation that will continue, especially within the northern region of the country.”
Reporter
“Now speaking generally to the seven illicit landings that have taken place between this week and November 2017, is it a concern for police that you have these spikes or a spate of illegal landings? And is it something that police are looking at to try to get some kind of technology to detect these aircrafts because obviously the persons operating them are trying to avoid as best as they can and have been successful so far?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Well, we are working in conjunction with our regional counterparts and the police have followed all information in regards to suspected aircraft sightings as well as landings in Belize and this is an ongoing series of investigations in relation to these aircraft landings.”
As to reports that that particular stretch of the San Estevan/Progresso Road was suspiciously fixed prior to the landing, ACP Joseph Myvett says that the road is fixed several times for the year. He confirms that police were in that area last Friday and the roads had been upgraded.
