Pre-Inspection for Organic Materials at P.G.I.A.

If you have travelled through the Phillip Goldson International Airport into Belize recently, you would have noticed a new inspection feature. OIRSA is now conducting pre-inspections using x-ray machines and K-9s to detect organic material that travellers may be carrying. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between OIRSA, the Ministry of Agriculture, and BAHA in Belmopan today to formalize the pre-inspection process at the P.G.I.A.

Fermin Blanco

Fermin Blanco, Country Representative, OIRSA

“Quarantine inspections are what BAHA physically does at the airport, but pre-inspections means that we are using state of the art technology to scan the luggage using machine to see what is inside. Us at OIRSA we cannot open a luggage but we scan it and see what is inside, and if we detect any organic material inside the luggage we tag it so that it goes to BAHA for BAHA to inspect if physically. If it is something that is restricted BAHA will kick in and to with that commodity what their regulation states. That is one service. The other service is using K-9 units. We train K-9 units in Panama and we use them here. We walk them around the arrival lounge and the K-9 is trained to detect organic materials as well, mainly vegetables and meat. So, once the K-9 also detects a luggage with organic materials in it, the handler tags the bag and that bag goes to BAHA for inspection.”

Abelardo Mai

Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“This is not a service that is uncommon. If you visit the airports in the region and even in the U.S.A, I was in the U.S. the other day passing through to Guyana. The U.S.D.A quarantine service has the dogs in their walking among the people sniffing the bags. So, it is not something that is uncommon. It is very common. Especially with people trying to get back to normality where they are travelling more, more so we will see more of these programs where they are scanning to protect the agriculture sector.”