Crime ring may have organized robbery of Courts Belize

The criminal ring may have also planned the robbery at Courts Belize Limited on the Northern Highway shortly after three on Wednesday afternoon. In the ongoing investigation, it is now known that only two thieves entered the building, the total number may have numbered up to four because two other suspects waited in a parked blue Toyota Corolla across the street and fled up the Northern Highway.  But police are reviewing video images captured from the cameras inside the building.

Keith Slater, Managing Director, Courts Belize

“ We were alerted that there was an armed hold-up at the cash desk which is on the second floor.  I’m not quite sure if it was two or three people but we understand it could have been up to four because there were people waiting in a car outside.  They held up the cashier, usual routine, with a note and they complied.  They only got money from one cashier and everybody else hit the deck in the cash office, which is completely secured.  They couldn’t get the money through the cash window because it’s only a small aperture for them to pass it through so they just grabbed what was in the tray, which was offered to them and calmly walked out.  By the time everybody got to know what was going on it had come and gone.”

Marion Ali

“You said the rest hit the deck.  How were they alerted if it was by a note?”

Keith Slater

Keith Slater

“The chief cashier sit to the back of the office so when the young lady got the note she just called out to her and by that alert the rest saw what was going on.  There were two of them.  One put a gun through one of the other windows and they all fell down so it was sort of a chain reaction rally.  I must commend them.  We have procedures in place for things like this.  In fact, just the days before we sent out reminders because there’s been a spate of this around.  Crime’s on the rise so we sent out reminders to all our staff about what to do and be alert and those sort of things, literally the day before.  So fortunately they probably had just read that as a refresher.”