A foursome of Guatemalan gold panners have been caught in the Chiquibul. William Govanni Mangandil, Israel Garcia, Enrique Velis and Hermelindo Velis - all from Poptun, Guatemala were caught on Wednesday 4 miles inside Belizean territory in the area of Ceibo Chico, inside the Chiquibul National Park.
BDF personnel and FCD Ranger came upon a thatch camp where the four were seen on top of a hill. They had 2 vials of what appeared to be small amounts of gold. They told the patrol team that that a gram of gold sells in Peten for about 150 quetzales, which is about $47.00 Belize dollars. They added that the area does not have much gold now. It's a long trek to san Ignacio, but the four men were escorted from southern Chiquibul to the San Ignacio Police Station where they arrived on Thursday afternoon. Charges were laid by the Forest Department and Immigration Department for illegal entry and operating illegally inside a national park.
The FCD reports that another dozen or more gold panners are known to be in that specific area, mostly of Ketchi origin and presumably from the village of Monte Los Olivos.
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A foursome of Guatemalan gold panners have been caught in the Chiquibul. William Govanni Mangandil, Israel Garcia, Enrique Velis and Hermelindo Velis - all from Poptun, Guatemala were caught on Wednesday 4 miles inside Belizean territory in the area of Ceibo Chico, inside the Chiquibul National Park.