American and Chinese nationals charged for Illegal Hunting

Also in the Magistrates’ Court, a U.S. citizen and Asian national have both been charged with Illegal Hunting following last Thursday’s operation by the police and the Forestry Department which yielded a truckload of game meat. James Beachy, the owner of a grocery shop in the Bermudian Landing area was charged with four counts of illegal hunting of gibnut, deer, armadillo and peccary and an additional count for carrying out illegal business. Police and the Forestry Department busted Beachy with the game meat when they went to his shop at about seven-thirty on October thirty-first. At around the same time, police and forest officers stopped a vehicle that was transporting game meat in a checkpoint near Sebastian Bridge on the Bermudian Landing Road in which Yung Guang He was travelling. He was subsequently charged with two counts of illegal hunting for deer meat and crocodile meat that were allegedly found in his vehicle. Both Beachy and He pleaded not guilty to the charges and were offered bail of five thousand dollars. Beachy was offered bail on the condition that the sureties are Belizean and that he handed in his passport to the court. No condition was placed on He who is a naturalized Belizean. Magistrate Fraser ordered that the meat be disposed of as the Chief Forestry Officer sees fit. It is intended that the meat will be given to the Children’s Home in Belmopan.