Guatemalan Cops Busted with Uzi in Benque Free Zone
Juan Garcia Palma & Armando Hub Pop
A pair of Guatemalan lawmen is in hot water for having crossed over into Belizean territory over the weekend with a concealed weapon inside their vehicle. Police officers Juan Garcia Palma and Armando Hub Pop were busted inside the Benque Viejo Free Zone on Saturday afternoon in possession of an Uzi submachine gun with matching nine millimeter rounds in two cartridges. It is required that persons wishing to enter the country with a firearm must seek written permission from the Commissioner of Police before doing so. In this case, while it has been confirmed that both men are indeed members of Guatemalan law enforcement, they have been charged jointly for the offense of kept prohibited firearm and kept unlicensed ammunition.
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City
“On Saturday, October 13th, 2018, just after two p.m., Benque Viejo police received information of a Guatemalan vehicle, either beige or gold in color, exiting from the Benque Viejo Free Zone. Upon their arrival at the entrance of the free zone, they intercepted that vehicle and upon conducting a search inside of the vehicle, it led to the discovery of an Uzi machine gun loaded with two magazines containing twenty-five live rounds of ammunition on each magazine. The persons inside of the vehicle at the time were learned to be Juan Garcia Palma, thirty-one-year-old Guatemalan national and Armando Hub Pop, also a Guatemalan national. Mr. Pop was the driver of the vehicle and as a result, both male persons and the vehicle were escorted to the Benque Viejo police station where a further search was conducted, but only that Uzi was found inside of the vehicle. Subsequently on that, Mr. Pop and Mr. Palma were charged for kept prohibited firearm and kept unlicensed ammunition.”
Reporter
“Are they claiming to be police officers in Guatemala?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“Based on the information that Benque Viejo police have received, those two persons are police officers from Guatemala.”
Reporter
“But that still does not require them, they have no special license to have those weapons in Belize.”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“No.”
Reporter
“How about the argument that the free zone is a supra-legal, it’s above the law in some extent, some of the laws that apply in the sovereign territory of Belize don’t apply there, right? So is there any way that they can say as an error they did, that we cleared it with the security at the zone so we’re good?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“I know that in order for you to have a weapon in the country you must have a license authorized by the commissioner, and this goes to any national or foreigner person visiting or living in the country.”
