Sharp police work led to a major bust of handguns this weekend. Intelligence coming out of Benque Viejo told Cayo police that 25 year old Omar Ibanez would be heading their way with major guns and ammo stashed in secret compartments in the rear bumper of his Toyota Corrolla.
They stopped him at the Red Creek checkpoint just outside Santa Elena and today, the head of national crime investigation told us what they found:
ACP Joseph Myvett
"Saturday sometime after 8pm whilst police officers were on a vehicular checkpoint in Red Creek area on the George Price Highway, they stop and conducted a search on a green Toyota Corolla car which at the time were being driven by one Omar Ibanez, 25 years of a Cotton Tree address, during the search inside the vehicle police discovered five nine millimeters pistols. The first being of a BUL-G Cherokee brand, one Taurus Brand one CZ-75 Compact brand one Arcus brand and one Girsan brand nine millimeter pistols. Along with those were nine boxes of ammunition amounting to four hundred and fifty rounds. At the time he was alone and he was east bound. In order words he was coming from west to east. So far the charges levied against him would be possession of firearms for which license had not been granted as well as possession of ammunition for which licenses had not been granted as well as the offence of illicit trafficking in firearms."
Reporter
"People in Belize City who are besieged by crime are always saying where do the guns come from and we know that the borders are porous."
ACP Joseph Myvett
"In relation to the weapon ceased we have already traced one of those weapons back to Guatemala which is the BUL G-Cheroke brand weapon that was stolen from Guatemala in 2017. That was amongst the other four. At this point in time we are trying trace where the others originated from through Interpol."
Reporter
"The person who has been arrested Mr. Ibanez, does he have any known links with criminal groups in Belize City?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
"Not that we know about, but we are still looking into that at this point in time."
Reporter
"It appears as if this person went through a lot to hide these weapons and ammunition. Is it apart of the police's search operations to take in the bumper where that was hidden or that was to detect..."
ACP Joseph Myvett
"I am not going to comment on that other than to say we do not want to give out our strategies in relation to searches other than to say that during these searches vehicles are thoroughly search and especially when it is based on any information, they are definitely going to be complete and thorough search of those vehicles."
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