Tourist destination under constant threat by bandits
With frightening certainty, armed attacks have come to be accepted as an inevitable part of everyday life in Belize. But tonight News Five investigates a disturbing set of crimes that is threatening one of the country’s most vulnerable industries.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
The Mountain Pine Ridge and Chiquibul Forest Reserves are just two prime examples of Belize?s breathtaking natural resources. But recently, the protected areas have become the scenes of terrifying crimes.
Authorities suspect the ambushes are being committed by a group of bandits from neighbouring Guatemala. It is believed that an ex-military officer coordinates the attacks, systemically holding up visitors in the isolated areas of the reserves. Hotspots have been the Rio Frio Caves and the Caracol Road.
Gilroy Nicholas, O.C, San Ignacio Police Station
?We definitely have an idea. We know that the bandits are led by an elderly man because from the last, he had been identified by at least four people who have been robbed in the last robbery. He has been identified in the robbery at Banana Bank and the robber at Spanish Lookout. So it seems that it is him the same elderly man who is leading the group around the Cayo District, terrorizing.?
Julius Cantun, Detective Sergeant, San Ignacio C.I.B.
?We believe that they do their homework. They study the area, they study the appropriate location for them to ambush the tourist because that is what they target.?
On May fifteenth, a group of tourists were returning from the Caracol Maya archaeological site but when the mini van slowed down around this blind curve, they came face to face with an armed man standing in the middle of the road. The bandit quickly forced the driver off the road into this secluded dead end trail where other armed individuals were waiting. The passengers were relieved of their cash, jewellery and other valuables. The thieves lay waited other vehicles and by the time the ordeal was over, a total of twelve tourists and three guides had been robbed. The bandits also attempted to rape one of the women. The men finally left the area by running across the road and down this trail before disappearing into the deep jungle, using markers like this empty can of Jumex juice along the way.
That incident occurred just one month after another reported hold-up at the Rio Frio Caves. A group of tourists had just finished touring the spectacular site when they were ambushed.
Julius Cantun
?The people come unsuspecting. They go and have a look at the cave, the beauty that we have here. And what we have seen is when they come back to their vehicle, this is the parking spot, when they come back to the vehicle, it is then that the assailants, the robbers, they come out from the bushes, from the sides and they hold them up. And they keep them here until all the other tourists come back up and they deal with all of them. They take their valuables, their cameras, and their jewellery and when they are satisfied, then they just disappear in the jungle.?
As the attacks have increased in violence, the United States Department and the Belize Tourism Industry Association have issued travel advisories to visitors. The B.T.I.A., the Belize Hotel Association, The Belize National Tour Operators and the Belize National Tour Guides Association are asking for more and consistent patrols by security forces.
Jacqueline Godwin
?The Belize Tourism Industry Association says unless safety is restored to the area, they will continue to ask their members to stop taking visitors to the remote and isolated locations.?
The police and B.D.F. have been conducting mobile and foot patrols in the Chiquibul and Mountain Pine Ridge. Those efforts have been heightened in recent months but so far none of the bandits have been arrested.
On Wednesday, cameraman Rick Romero and I were escorted into the affected locations by Detective Sergeant Julius Cantun and Police Constable Jason Jones as officers and soldiers prepared to embark on the day?s patrol. The long drive wove through the thick jungle and mountainous terrain but the only armed men in sight were on our side. But the fact highlighted by the scene outside was the sheer size of the area that law enforcement officers must confront as they attempt to restore safety to the popular tourist destinations.
Julius Cantun
?The area is very remote we took a couple hours to reach here. We are trying our best to efficiently patrol it.?
As part of new security measures, additional bases have been established at strategic locations. Tour buses are escorted to and from the sites. Belizean and Guatemalan police and military units have also teamed up to share intelligence and investigation tactics.
Julius Cantun
?To try and detect these people. Where they come from, what they are doing and who buy the stolen items from them. Very important because if they don?t have the market then they won?t be doing this. We are looking at all measures possible. In terms of tactics we use our special patrol units who are somewhat like our military. They are trained and I think those are the guys more efficient to deal with these types of criminals.?
Gilroy Nicholas
?There is fairly good communication with our men behind that area through the radio, cell phone is not possible, but we have very good communication through radio.?
Jacqueline Godwin
?Bottom line, the police are doing what you are able to do.?
Gilroy Nicholas
?We are doing what we are able to do. And we can assure people that we?ll make the area safe back it way it was previously.?
Back at police headquarters in San Ignacio, Officer in Charge Gilroy Nicholas says his men are doing the best they can
Gilroy Nicholas
?Border on a whole is porous as you know. Particularly during the dry season, it is difficult to police because during the dry season they just walk across the border. In the rainy season they have the river to contend with and the river is flooded and the area is wet, so they can not really cross in the flooded river.?
An overview of the attacks reveal that most occur within one month of each other and tend to take place during the dry season between January through May. The problem has affected local tourism investors as a number of cancellations are estimated to have already cost thousands of dollars in financial losses.
But the warnings have not kept all visitors away. At Caracol, this group of American tourists was visiting from Guatemala, and completely entranced by the presence of a family of howler monkeys.
Those tourists were companied by an escort but this American couple visiting from New York say they decided to go against advice and make the journey on their own.
Bahar Onsari, Visitor, Caracol
?Yes, we were warned but I don?t know it didn?t seem like a couple of incidents, didn?t seem enough to keep me away from here.?
Donny Alsay, Visitors, Caracol
?Actually we heard about it in San Ignacio. And a tour guide said something ah you are going to be very safe. And we were like oh, ok there was no reason to think that we weren?t. Then we got up here and they said that they were some incidents, so we didn?t worry about it.?
Bahar Onsari
?We didn?t bring anything other than our cameras.?
Donny Alsay
?Exactly, we just didn?t bring anything that we would want to lose so.?
The police say they have been strongly advising hoteliers to give them one month?s notice so escorts can be scheduled for tour groups.
Gilroy Nicholas
?Some people just do it on their own without informing us. Some people say they call the station and the phone is busy. They were told to use the fax, so they can fax anytime, and it is safe. But some people just go on their own. Jackie once the hoteliers who operate the area are safe right now. I would say they are pretty safe right now, I would want them to cooperate with us and let us know we will do the right thing, once they cooperate with us. And by doing the right thing and informing us in advance, they can not be leaving at nine a.m. and inform us at eight a.m. because it is impossible because we have to put certain things in place.?
According to a press release issued by the Belize Tourism Board, on Thursday Minister of Tourism Godfrey Smith met with law enforcement officials, tour operators, guides and hoteliers from the Cayo district to formulate a response to the crime situation in the Chiquibul and Mountain Pine Ridge. One of the outcomes of that meeting was the establishment of a task force, to be jointly chaired by the B.T.I.A. and the B.T.B. That body is expected to hold its first meeting next Wednesday. Another important development was the commitment of the B.T.B. donate communication equipment and to assist in the creation of a twenty four hour emergency hotline.
