Payroll jacked at Belmopan factory
A payroll heist on Friday afternoon in Belmopan netted thieves nine thousand dollars, and has left over fifty workers out of a job. Employees of Caribbean Investors Limited, located on the Hummingbird Highway across from the agriculture show grounds, say around 3:00 p.m. two masked men emerged from the bush toting handguns. The gunmen demanded money and the company payroll, approximately nine thousand dollars in cash, was handed over. The thieves threatened the lives of the employees present if they contacted the cops, and ran into the thick foliage bordering the property and met up with two other masked men. All four then disappeared. Apparently the company security did not include an armed guard during the day, but certainly does now. Perhaps most disturbing is that because of the incident, company managers tell News 5 that they have since laid off their fifty-six employees and closed up shop. They say their Korean engineers are scared to work and the company’s future in Belize will be decided by their shareholders at home in Asia. Caribbean Investors Limited has been in Belize for several months making marble tiles.