2 bomb threats within one hour at FirstCaribbean Bank and Courts

The frequency of bomb threats around Belize City has created somewhat a sense of nonchalance among students and employees.  Prank calls of explosive devices hidden in classrooms or restrooms at businesses seem to be commonplace of late but school administrators and company managers are taking no chances.  Today a total of three bomb threats were called in to various businesses within a stone’s throw of each other.  Earlier, BDF bomb expert Lt. Col. David Jones was called to the scene of a scare at First Caribbean Bank at San Cas Plaza and by four-thirty this evening he was back in action looking for a bomb at Courts on the Northern Highway.  In both instances a search of the premises turned up nothing.  News Five spoke with Keith Slater, Managing Director of Courts Belize.

Keith Slater, Managing Director, Courts Belize

Keith Slater

“Well we had a call into our credit department I think about four o’clock just a voice saying there was a bomb in the building so we have procedures in place for events such as this and we evacuated all the staff and customers out.  I think in about four minutes we were all out of the building and called the police and they in turn I believe called the B.D.F.  We evacuated the building and went over to the other side of the road at an assembly point and then the police and B.D.F. turned up and checked the building and found nothing.”

Lt. Cpl. David Jones, B.D.F. Bomb Expert

“The police called me.  I came on the scene about twenty minutes later and ensured all the cordon was done, people were out of the building and then did a clearance of the building.  There was nothing inside so it was just a prank call.”

Lt. Col. David Jones

Isani Cayetano

“This occurred in the wake of another bomb threat I believe that took place today at FirstCaribbean.  Can you give us an update on that as well?”

Lt. Cpl. David Jones

“Okay the one at FirstCaribbean I had cleared that building about forty minutes before coming here.  It was a similar message; it’s possibly from the same person, same message there is a bomb in the building you need to get out so I went over to that area as well after I got the call from the Police Department; cleared the building and it seems to me it was just a prank call again.”

According to Jones a motive for the malicious threats cannot be determined but they are a nuisance since the threats disrupt business.