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Pseudo-ephedrine, it’s that active ingredient in Sudafed cough medicine that’s also used to make the illicit drug crystal meth and in the past few months it’s been at the center of a number of daring customs, related heists in Belize. On Friday night, there was probably the most daring attempt to steal it so far. This time, a group of men tried to steal a container of it from within the Customs compound. But a joint effort between local and international security forces including the United States Embassy thwarted the well orchestrated heist. A search of the container revealed that it contained over ten million pseudo-ephedrine tablets that local authorities believe would have been illegally exported to be used in the manufacture of crystal meth. The container came to Belize from Europe.

None of the suspects were caught by police their presence was captured on security cameras that are now being reviewed by authorities. Late this evening Comptroller of Customs Gregory Gibson and Police Commissioner Gerald Westby held a press briefing to speak about their ongoing investigation and the efforts being undertaken to address the importation of counterfeit products into Belize and other illicit substances.

Gregory Gibson, Comptroller of Customs
“On Friday night at around 10 pm, Port security informed both the police and Customs of an attempted breach of the compound in an attempt to get at a container. Immediately a quick response group from the police and the Customs arrived at the Port Compound and noted a container that was apparently of interest. The compound was secured properly and the following morning a check of the container was conducted. The container revealed 604 boxes of assorted medicaments. Of particular interest was the discovery of over 10 million pills, ephedrines, consigned to a company in the Corozal Free Zone. Since then that shipment has been secured and investigations are continuing.

This is part of the effort by the security forces and the government to address the perception that Belize can be used as a port of transhipment of either counterfeit or illicit substances and therefore it will continue forward. The investigation over the other few days will perhaps result in the arrest of individuals.

The information we have indicates that a number of individuals were seen around the compound and may have in fact cut the fence of the compound but we have no information to indicate that they were Mexicans. We have no information to indicate if they were armed. We are looking at the footage of the filming and we should be able to see that in another few days also.

It was consigned to a Monte-Cristo Company in the Free Zone and it was coming from Europe.

It does take a level of international feedback in addition to street level information to mesh the necessary action. From the description we’re getting, it appears to be Creole individuals and they may have been one Hispanic looking individual. The cameras were not able to pick up anything to indicate they were armed.

We don’t have any indication that there are any factories in Belize and so it is likely that the pills would have been exported to a larger market. If you talk about ten million tablets, it would not be in their best interest to put that on the Belize market. Clearly it has to be a vastly expanded market.”

Gerald Westby, Commissioner of Police
“We are collaborating with our counterparts from the neighbouring countries and it suffices me to say without going into any specifics that we got a report, information that some of the substance from the other shipments that got lost may have surfaced in one of the neighbouring countries.

So again we’re collaborating and today we formed a task force and a special investigative team led by Assistant Superintendent Fuentes who has had some level of expertise in this field and we are looking at getting, if necessary from the DEA, to get somebody technical to assist us with the investigation because certainly it is of great concern to us and we need to get to the bottom of it.”

Gregory Gibson,
“You may be aware, some of you in the media have heard complaints and concerns about a detailed operation that the Customs was conducting primarily at the Customs shed in Belize where containers were targeted and checked in details. Those searches have resulted so far in interdiction of 40 cases of whiskey that was not declared and primarily two containers of cigarettes, Marlboro cigarettes declared as slippers.

I think normally if you look at the fact that it is the enforcement agency that has initiated the reflection that these containers were here and that in an attempt to address it that these containers had to be hijacked, that indicates the level of concern and indeed action that has taken place. If you stop to consider that there was an apparent hijacking, at least in one of the instances, and then now that you have the container being seized, certainly you can say that we are getting results. It is not like in other institutions where you might have the perceived weakness being covered up. We’re saying that the indication that containers have been hijacked or that we have found shipments, indicates some level of success, if not a great level of success, in interdicting, at least in bringing it to the attention of the public.”

The authorities are also investigating to see whether or not Customs and port workers may have been involved in Friday night’s incident. Neither Customs nor the police would comment on the street value of the pills found only telling the media that there were over ten million tablets. The street value is rumoured to be over thirty million dollars.