7 News Belize

Narco Plane Lands on Coastal, Cops Make Big Bust
posted (February 27, 2020)

Word spread like wildfire after dawn this morning that another drug plane had landed. And while you might expect this case to follow the all too familiar narrative of a burnt plane with all the contents spirited away by narcos, this one provided a sharp twist in the storyline. 

Law enforcement got the plane and the drugs in an impressive show of readiness and cross border cooperation. 

Cherisse Halsall went out to the Coastal highway to find the plane this morning. Here's what she saw. 

"It's here off mile 16 on the Coastal Road that a G2 jet packed with 70 bales of cocaine landed at about 4:30 this morning."

Inside the jet the bales of cocaine were tightly packed and secured by ropes and bungee cords.

This 500 foot runway was probably well suited to land the jet. The soil is dense pine ridge flatland in a completely deserted area where you won't see anyone for miles.

And on the margins of the runway, we saw the rusted remains of another plane - probably another drug plane. 

"Belize Police working with their Mexican counterparts tracked the plane to its landing site off the Coastal. They swooped in made the seizure and reportedly an arrest, the 70 bales of cocaine on the plane weigh more than a ton."

That ton load was transported under heavy guard to the Racoon street police station for storage at around 10:00 this morning.  Police and BDF wore masks and blocked the streets, guarding the perimeter with heavy firepower.  Dozens of law enforcement personnel were and will be deployed to this mission to intercept, recover, safeguard and eventually destroy this cargo estimated to be worth well over 20 million Belize dollars. 

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