Silencer manufacturing ring busted; terrorism style books found

While the Mangar incident continues to unravel, police have another major case to crack. We have heard of high powered weapons circulating in Belize, but over the weekend police made a stunning bust at a Ladyville house. They not only found drugs, but they also found materials to manufacture silencers, an accessory used to suppress the sound of gunshot blasts. It is alarming because in addition to that they found books on how to construct homemade guns and in one of the books, sections regarding the construction of explosives were highlighted.  Even more intriguing is that the tenant who rented the house is well known to the law. He is Arthur Young, who has beat the murder rap more than once and his girlfriend is the well known daughter of a former prime minister. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has been following the story since Tuesday and has this report.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

The police department conducted a search on the third of April at two-thirty at a house on DamselFish Drive in Vista Del Mar.  They say inside the quiet home, they found drugs and equipment to construct silencers to mask the sound of gunshots. In addition, they also found books named:  “Silencer; The History and Performance, Disguising Techniques, Tactical Operator” and “Shooting Illustrated.”

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

Fitzroy Yearwood

“The occupant of the house at the time was Errol Haynes; a twenty-five years, Belizean who claims to be a businessman of Buttonwood Bay area Belize City. The search of the premises resulted in the discovery of ninety-two point one grams of suspected crack cocaine and twelve point seven grams of cannabis. a further search of the house led to the discovery of a silencer used for the adoption of a firearm. He was escorted to Ladyville police along with a machine believed to be used to make that suppressor. He has since been charged for Drug Trafficking, Possession of Controlled Drugs and Possessing a Prohibited Sound Suppressor.”

Jose Sanchez

“Within the machine itself, you can see something that looks like a silencer for a gun. Is that machine illegal? Is the object that he made illegal?”

Fitzroy Yearwood

“The object is illegal, the machine itself is not illegal because any metal shop is entitled to use laite. That’s a laite machine that they do most drillings on. But the end result of that use of that machine is what he has been arrested and charged for which is this sound suppressor. People on the street call it silencer; it means the same. It’s used on the barrel of a firearm to quiet the sound after that gun has been fired.”

According to the owner of the house, Loretta Villanueva, she rented it to Ruth Esquivel.  However, Esquivel said that she did not live in the home which she paid rent on the behalf of her boyfriend Arthur Young.

Loretta Villanueva

Loretta Villanueva, Home owner

“I said how do you name? He said he name Arthur Maskall. So he said but I don’t know you. He said yes, probably you don’t know me but I am husband to Miss Ruth Esquivel. I said okay then, I said fine I know Ruth Esquivel. So he said okay, I will make my wife come and look into the rent for it. He said I will rent the house but I need to months in advance. So Miss Ruth called me and she said why did you put Maskall? I said well your husband said he name Arthur Maskall. So she said no, if you don’t mind, put it in Esquivel. I said fine, no problem. I put it in Ruth Esquivel so all the time I had been collecting rent from Ruth Esquivel.”

Jose Sanchez

“Okay, so you assume Miss Esquivel was living here, but she wasn’t living here.”

Loretta Villanueva

“Well, as far as I know she said she want the house for she and her husband, that’s why I rent it to her.”

Jose Sanchez

“But Miss Esquivel said she didn’t actually live here, but Mr. Arthur Young actually lived here. So were you surprised when you found out  the police were here?”

Loretta Villanueva

“Well, actually I didn’t hear nothing till this morning.”

Jose Sanchez

“Is he a person of interest in this investigation?

Fitzroy Yearwood

“Well, if that is the person that they are saying the house was originally rented for he is of interest to us in this investigation.”

Jose Sanchez

“So you definitely are looking for Arthur Young.”

Fitzroy Yearwood

“As a person of interest. Mr. Haynes has been charged for the crimes already and Arthur Young is a person of interest in our investigation.”

Arthur Young has been charged for various crimes in the past. He believes the police want him dead. He spoke to News Five Via phone this evening from an undisclosed location.

Via Phone: Arthur Young, In Hiding

Arthur Young

“Whatever they charged Errol Haynes with at the house, I have no knowledge of that. I get word that I am on the charge sheet with Errol Haynes and I wasn’t even there with him. They’re just trying to railroad me, bad mind me, I could say because I don’t know why. Yes, I’m not saying I’m an angel or anything but I’m not out there like that dealing with evil things and corrupting youths them like that for them to try to send me to jail anytime they feel like without no evidence or without even me being there present. They did it more than one time. It reach to the point where I fear my life against the police because it seems like they want to kill me now.  I changed my last name at that time because people might hear my name and get kinda nervous and I don’t like to go around saying my name because I don’t really do things in public you know. I try my best to stay far away from these and other groups of peoples. I’m not active in the streets of giving no young boys nothing in no kind of way. When I talk to the youths it’s gotta be positive. People know me in society, but the ones that don’t know me think that I’m into just evilness and that’s because they don’t know my whereabouts. I chose to live privately and secret just so I don’t get harassment. But every time the police force or whoever is behind this trying to bad mind me, I don’t know if it’s something personal which I never sent any threat to the police like that.”

Jose Sanchez

“Mr. Young has said the police likes to harass him and put charges on him that he is not responsible for.”

Fitzroy Yearwood

“Well, Mr. Sanchez I have no knowledge of that where police harass anybody. Our job is to investigate crime and if we find out that you are the author of a crime then we will charge you and put you in front of the court and the court decides whether or not you’re guilty of that crime. But as far as harassment goes, we’re not into the harassment business.”

Jose Sanchez

“Looking into this specific incident, if you take a look at the other materials that were found. There were many books; books about how to disguise, gun books on how to make weapons, how to make ammunition. Does this concern you?”

Fitzroy Yearwood

“Well, of course it concerns us. We’re living in a time when we see several grenades have been thrown in different neighborhoods and to find books like this, then definitely this would raise an eyebrow for anyone so we have to investigate from all angles and find out what was their intent in using these books.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Young is receiving legal advice from well known criminal attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley.