Investigation into Drug Plane near Monkey River is Still Ongoing

The landing of an executive jet carrying an undetermined payload of narcotics last Friday in the vicinity of Monkey River is still being investigated by the Belize Police Department. It is believed that several individuals, known to law enforcement, acted in concert to land the aircraft, discharge its illicit cargo and facilitated the movement of the drugs by water to parts unknown. The investigation has not yielded much, and the police department is now waiting for those individuals to surface. Admittedly, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that placing them on the scene and tying them to the illegal activity that took place that night will prove difficult for prosecutors.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police, Belize Police Department

“Certainly we do have a team put together to look at the investigation. We have received a number of information that we are trying to confirm and just as we do with other instances, once we have the information we follow it up and see where it goes. We certainly do have an idea of who are the players involved, they are being sought but they are still in hiding and we are hoping that pretty soon we’re going to find them and interview them. The difficult part is going to be to connect them to the landing that is always the extremely difficult part. But again, we have to find ways by which we can perhaps investigate and get something even if it is under the money laundering act, whatever the case may be but we’re exploring every possible angle.”

Reporter

“Are any of the COST team’s former members being looked at in any regard?”

Chester Williams

“We don’t have any evidence or information to suggest at this time that any of them are involved.”