Over 1800 Pounds of Cocaine Destroyed by Fire

Today, the Belize Police Department destroyed twenty-five bales of cocaine confiscated during the drug bust in Bladen, Toledo District earlier this month. Eight hundred and twenty-two kilos of narcotics contained in almost seven hundred parcels were cut open, tested and then destroyed by fire. The media was once again there to witness the destruction headed by the newly installed National Operations Commander of the Belize Police Department, Assistant Commissioner of Police Alford Grinage. Here’s that report.

ACP Alford Grinage, Commander of Operations, Belize Police Department

“This morning between the hours of eight a.m. and eleven a.m., we escorted to an undisclosed location the drugs that was found during the operation a couple weeks for destruction. This morning, we destroyed a total of six hundred and ninety-eight parcels of cocaine, to a total of eight hundred and twenty-two point four six kilos.”

Duane Moody, Reporting

That’s one thousand, eight hundred and thirteen point two-one pounds of cocaine confiscated by police, following the November fourth drug plane landing on the Southern Highway near Bladen Village. The brazen illicit activity involved police officers who, along with six civilians, facilitated the landing of a narco jet, carrying twenty-five bales of cocaine. Today, in the presence of a magistrate, as well as a Justice of the Peace, and a representative from the National Forensic Science Service, the drugs were destroyed.

Alford Grinage

ACP Alford Grinage

“Just like what we did before when we processed it for evidence procedures, it’s in reverse. Before the drugs were destroyed this morning, it was then retested by the Forensic personnel who certified that it is the same contents of cocaine that was initially obtained after which it was put in the fire and destroyed.”

Duane Moody

“Some would say why the urgency to destroyed evidence.”

ACP Alford Grinage

“It’s not an urgency. We have to have officers minding these drugs and we need these officers on the street. So we got the order to destroy already from the magistrate so we decided to do it today.”

Newly installed Commander of Operations, Assistant Commissioner of Police Alford Grinage oversaw the destruction and explained the need for heavy security presence in the area.

ACP Alford Grinage

“Well you know that drugs is always a commodity that everybody would like to have and as well the cartels would also like to retain their product that we have in our custody. So while dealing with this, we usually ensure that we have adequate security to ensure that the safety of persons that will be assisting us in the procedure are there contained and also for our safety.”

Duane Moody for News Five.