3 Indian nationals disappear and leave hefty bill at hotel. Human trafficking?
Three Indian students have managed to con the Belize Archives and Records Service with a plan that is as simple as ABC. The trio applied for an exchange program with the department and arrived in Belize on Sunday. They checked into a Belmopan Hotel and reported to work on Tuesday, but by the afternoon, they had disappeared in thin air leaving behind a hefty bill. It is believed that their attachment was merely a ploy to get to this side of the world to head to the United States. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The mysterious disappearance of Indian nationals Amandeep Singh Brar, as well as Parminder and Gurmukh Singh, from the Bullfrog Inn in Belmopan is the subject of an ongoing police investigation. The three men, who legally entered the country on Sunday, as guests of the Belize Archives and Records Service, vanished without a trace, leaving behind their luggage. The trio was in Belize to undertake a one-week training course organized by Dr. Herman Byrd.
Herman Byrd
Dr. Herman Byrd, Director, Belize Archives and Records Service
“This whole process began several months ago when we were approached by an individual in India, who had the title of Director of International Training and Study Tours for an institution in India called the Dr. Harry Singur Educational Institute, and he asked if we would be willing to have the students who would be participating in the 2012 Study Tour of their institution visit the archives and participate in some sort of training program.”
The students arrived at the Philip Goldson International Airport on Sunday afternoon and then proceeded to Belmopan where they checked into the hotel in the company of Lizet Thompson, an employee of the Archives Department. John D’Silva, manager of Bullfrog Inn, told News Five about the accommodations that were provided.
John D’Silva
John D’Silva, Manager, Bullfrog Inn
“The three individuals had one room and as far as I know that was it for that specific period of time and I was not aware that there was any problem until yesterday when I understood that these three individuals were missing. And so the police came here to investigate along with the Archives Department.”
According to Byrd, the invitation was extended to the exchange students based on the current relationship Belize shares with India for the provision of academic scholarships. The process, he says, was vetted by the Belize consulate in India.
Dr. Herman Byrd
“The validation in terms of, for example, getting a visa to come to Belize is something that is done outside of our hands. It’s something that’s done by the Belize consulate in India, I guess in collaboration with the department here, the Immigration Department.”
During their abbreviated stay at Bullfrog Inn the group occupied Room nineteen where they pretty much isolated themselves from other guests at the establishment. On Tuesday they arrived for their first day of training here at the department. That would be the only day they’d show up to work.
Dr. Herman Byrd
“They came on Tuesday and they threw themselves into the training in the preservation unit and actually at the end of the day they mentioned to one of the other staff members here that they found the training interesting and that they were hoping to spend more time in that unit. But there was a feeling that they were not very relaxed and they were not very forthcoming with information in some ways and so the little red flags began to go up but we attributed that to the adjustment to Belize and stuff like that, you know.”
While the whereabouts of the men remains a mystery, it is believed that they may have skipped the country en route to the United States. According to D’Silva, they also left behind a steep bill that the Archives Department is yet to look after.
John D’Silva
“When it was discovered that they had left the premises, I also got stuck with a bill because the room was not paid for and that. So I am also down in the hole for being owed for those services.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
The problems just keep coming. Somehow we’ve become a magnet for crooks of every sort and from every nation!
These gentlemen got sticker shock and fled the hotel – the receipt shows $690. for one nights stay!
dont let these 3 fools fool u, fist of all, there is NOT a University of India, these fools r on there way to d US, using Belize as a springboard to get there. Mista Byrd sudah research dat b4 he work wit these so-call students, or he mussi in on this.Wen bodies turn up den i wah believe.
It just shows how stupid we belizeans are when it comes to foreigners entering our country, we should try to treat these situations with a grain of salt
Indians are known for their corruption. And this is the kind of people who will advise the police very soon. Things going more downhill in Belize.
Sounds like John “Bullfrog” Silva wants to do some ripping off himself. How steep can a bill be for three days in stinking little room, and if the party had meals , how much rice and beans can they eat. In Belize stupid things become news while really important things, like $13 per gallon fuel, are glossed over.
The word is out around the world if you want to get lost come to Belize the people of Belize are all stupid this pm and gov. Has created the this image of us belizeans as being so stupid that anyone can take advantage of us or perhaps some minister got paid off by the Indians I wonder if its a coincidence that their name is Singh their is no end to the total lack of leadership in this gov. Wow.
Why are we so quick to make decisions such as this. The problem with Belizeans they are so easily doped becasue they do not evaluate things befor acting. A foreign ambassador of any country needs to be someone who can gather some form of intellegence information of activities going on in their region and be analytical to determine what kinds of things they have to stay on top of. I would bet, the person who set this up, wined and dined the Belizean representative, plying them with lies and they never stop to evaluate anything.
How advanced is the Belizean archive that it would benefit India. What background information did they accumulate on these three men outside of what they were given by thier contact who set this up. Every country is playing Belizean government as a sucker.
Keep your eyes open America, Belize seems to be the route into the country, and we don’t know who these people are and what these people are planning. we can only hope that htese three will die in the dessert as they try to cross into America. It is time to get tough, stop being victim and show some strength Mr PM.
Very fishy, but i smell a rat !!
@Al……… Congrats. You have spoken wisely. I like that.
Let’s not drown ourselves in a glass of water. My fellow comrades, we have been duped again. If you are looking for these three shysters, try Chicago or Houston………….. that’s where you will find them.
Luke 12:24
Consider the byrds: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Why? byrds are not too bright. They are driven by their genetic code.
This is just prove that our system is broken.Wake up Belize.The immigration system in the jewel is like a buffet house.
@ Uncle Benji and Al: what you say is true but they are not acting any different than many Belizeans , Caribbean sojourners in Belize, Chineese, Arabs, inter alia. Everyone wants to get to the USA not only for a good day’s pay but also for freedom in all areas of life such as, freedom to study in one’s calling free of corruption, freedom of speech and expression, and freedom to make informed decision. Do we have these freedoms in Belize? The answer is “NO”. What we have is corruption and prostitution of ourselves to the politicians to get ahead. Is that what life is all about here in Belize? This is why everyone wants to get to America(USA). (Belize is America too). ………………
I am sorry to see my old teacher Brother Bryrd being conned. allowing foreigners into our national archives without proper vetting that sounds reckless. a journalist needs to stay with this story, who is responsible, I don’t think taxpayers should pay Bull Frog. so much angles to this story. conclusion, Belize get bukut again!!
Heee he he …..ha ha haha has heeeheh hee! Don Quijote de la Mancha. hehehheheheh. Jokes!
Please Note: taken from Nat’l Enquirer 10/29/12. For patients treated by FAKE DOCTOR WHO WAS IN BZ. Fake Dr. ERNEST ADDO didn’t have a LICENCE to practice medicine, cops say he taped websites & smartphone apps to get the info needed. He treated as much as 500 patients. He got his training in Bz, stole the identity of Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a Dr. who is from Ghana & practiced in Orangeburg, S.C.
Addo never carried out surgeries, but was diagnosing & treating illnesses & prescribing medications. Addo was finally trippe up when he made a minor mistake on a DEATH CERTIFICATE. Health Dept tried to contact him but, were unable, they search records & were able to locate the real Dr. Kennedy that had just rturned from Ghana. Cops went to look for Addo who was HIDING UNDER THE BED.
JUST ANOTHER JOKE AT BZ.
And when I offered to do REAL research for my country, to digitize old vital records using technology not available at home, I was given the run around.
Did anyone here see the movie ‘slum dog millionaire’ which is set in India? This is a country where the people are poor and desperate. These three con artists were looking for a way out of their dire straits and our Belizean officials unwisely did not do as thorough a back-ground check as they should have. Let’s chalk this one up to experience and let’s wise up GOB!
I’ve been to Jamaica twice to volunteer from La 6 mthst prior to our trip we all have to have back ground check ,they check our credentials,check our current and pass employers,we never know who is who ,We belizeans are too trusting,
La sociedad multicultural es un fracaso cada persona debe quedarse en los alrededores de donde nacio para lograr la homogeneidad cultural.Hay que desconfiar del extranjero pues una persona que hace bien las cosas y no corre detras del dinero no tiene por que emigrar.
It is sad that the system is so loose that any foreigner can come into our country and get jobs and the royal treatment just by claiming to be a professional from some distant country. I have always been concerned about the credibility of the paperwork that our officials accept from such people especially from the foreigners in the medical field. It is easy to forge or create diplomas, degrees and certificate by using a simple program like publisher. There needs to be a thorough check of all the credentials of the “professionals ” in our schools, hospitals and government departments. There are way too many scams going on for our countrymen to continue to be so very gullible to accept any stranger with a paper in his hand. Technology has advanced that proper checks can be made if anyone is interested. However, typical of my country if I had gone to apply for the job with proper credentials, I would have been turned down for not being light, or tall, or have straight hair, or come from the right political connections, yet they prefer to go out on a limb for foreigners they do not have the common sense to do a proper background check on. I wonder why the malpractice rates are so high in some of our hospitals? HHmmmmmmmm!!!!
I’m sorry to read this. My husband and I stayed at the Bullfrog Inn during several visits to the Archives, and loved it. Everyone was friendly and helpful, prices were reasonable, and the food was good – not to mention ice cold Billiken Beer! I’ll be back next month. So sorry you got ripped off!