There was an armed robbery at noon in Belize City. It occurred inside
the Novelo’s Bus Terminal on West Collet Canal. That facility is usually
crowded with hundreds of bus passengers streaming in and out, but today the
crowds were no deterrent to the 2 robbers who strode in with guns and robbed
a vendor of more than $2,000. Keith Swift found out that the men also stole
the sense of security for the hundreds of bus passengers who use the terminal.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This afternoon at 12:15 it was amidst the usual hustle and bustle inside the
Novelo’s Bus Terminal that two young men armed with guns entered and ordered
this red Fanta at the Amigo Mini Mart.
Samsul Hague, Robbery Victim
“Two black boys, one at the front side and one boy at the back. One
boy said give me a red fanta. I told him to get it from the cooler. So he got
the red fanta and just seconds after another boy come inside.”
Once inside, Hague says one of his assailants pulled out a gun.
Samsul Hague,
“He showed me a gun and he put his hands in my pocket and he took
my money, my cell phone, and he went.”
Keith Swift,
“How money did he take?”
Samsul Hague,
“$2,000.”
Another vendor described to us off camera what he saw unfold.
Voice of Vendor,
“I saw the Indian man and a young man struggling with a gun and I
stood up and looked. He asked me to help but I didn’t want to get involved.
I just stand aside and watched and then they all run off, two of them. That
is all I see. Two of them had guns.”
This afternoon’s robbery concerns those who use the bus terminal because
they say that of all places – a bus terminal should be safe. Today of
course it wasn’t.
Voice of Bus Passenger,
“I used to always hurry done do all I had to do in Belize City and
tried to reach the terminal because I does always think that I am safe at the
terminal and today I am realized that I am not.”
Keith Swift,
“So how do you feel right now?”
Voice of Bus Passenger,
“I don’t even want to sit down. I am kind of still nervous.”
Voice of Vendor,
“It is kind of surprising because a lot of people were out here, 60
to 70 people, and it happened in the eyes of all them and they doesn’t
care. That is all I can say.”
Keith Swift,
“Are you afraid now to continue working here?”
Samsul Hague,
“Yeah I am afraid…I will stay open but I am afraid.”
Police responded to the report and took statements but no one has been
detained. The terminal is managed by the Department of Transport which is also
in charge of security.
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