Police show off major gun haul
Police today reported some major progress in efforts to reduce the number of heavy weapons on the streets of Belize City. This afternoon they held a press conference to display the lethal collection.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
The guns, ammunition, and drugs were all confiscated in separate operations conducted in Belize City over the past twenty four hours. Around ten thirty on Tuesday morning the police found this sixteen gauge sawed off shotgun and black plastic bag containing ten pounds of marijuana in a mangrove area just off Jane Usher Boulevard.
Then around six yesterday evening, police officers on mobile patrol made another significant find inside a residence on Amara Avenue. The cops found this AK47 assault rifle hidden under a mattress in one of the rooms, along with a magazine containing three rounds of ammunition. The other two discoveries were made around five this morning when the major crimes team raided the home of Ruben Herbert on La Croix Street.
Asst. Supt. Aaron Guzman, O.C. CIB Belize City
“Recovered these two pump actions shotguns that were stolen some two weeks ago from the Bliss Institute of Performing Arts.”
Police also found six, twelve gauge cartridges; sixteen, nine millimetre rounds; and three nine millimetre pistols. Two of the guns have been positively identified as the other weapons taken in the Bliss burglary.
Asst. Supt. Aaron Guzman
“The other one has been identified as one that was stolen from a gentleman who was robbed in Maxboro some two weeks ago.”
Thirty-three year old Ruben Herbert and twenty-one year Michelle Lewis have been charged with two counts of Keeping Unlicensed Ammunition, five counts of Keeping an Unlicensed Firearm and Ammunition, and one count of Handling Stolen Goods.
Senior Superintendent and the Officer in Charge of Eastern Division Allen Whylie credits good police team work and strong community relations for the operation’s success.
Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie, O.C., Eastern Division
“We’ve done some reorganisation of our anti-crime efforts within Belize City and I believe that most persons will be able to see an increased presence in terms of police officers patrolling the streets, as well as mobile patrols. We’ve also made efforts to step up our response time by improving some level of communication.”
Supt. Edward Broaster, Commander, Patrol Branch
“As well we would want to commend the public who from time to time call us in and give us information that significantly helps us in recovering and retrieving firearms and other criminals off the street.”
The police did not have their pictures available, but also arrested in the operations were twenty-four year old Ashanti Flowers, forty-eight year old Patrick Flowers Senior, forty-seven year old Phillipa Flowers, and nineteen year old Crystal Gillett. They have all been charged with the offences of Keeping Prohibited Firearm and Ammunition. The cops continue to look for twenty-one year old Patrick Flowers Junior, who managed to slip away from the officers.
The police say they are also searching for the men responsible for the rape and stabbing of the thirty-one year old Belizean woman who was attacked around three on Tuesday morning after they broke into the family’s residence.
