The press also asked the Police Commissioner about those 3 immigration
officers who were caught yesterday with over 7 pounds of weed inside a
white Mahindra pickup, which is owned by the Government of Belize.
As we told you, they were intercepted in Orange Walk, near the toll
bridge at a checkpoint between miles 40 and 50.
When the cops searched the vehicle, they found a brown cardboard box,
which was stashed with several parcels of marijuana, to a total weight
of 3.3 kilos, or 7 and a half pounds. The ComPol told us this evening,
that the drugs are believed to be of Mexican origin, which suggests
that an illegal, cross-border element to this drug smuggling operation:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Yes I know that yesterday, sometime after 3 or 4 PM, we had received a tip
and based on that we went and await a white immigration Mahindra pickup,
which belongs to the government of Belize and the vehicle was stopped in
Orange Walk at the checkpoint and officers conducted search of the vehicle
which yield a large quantity of cannabis amounting to just over 3
kilograms. The officers on board were 3 immigration officers, they were
detained, the drugs was taken along with them to the Orange Walk station
where they were processed and again, as so as not to take nothing for
granted, the drugs that they had were the Mexican weed and it is either
they went over to get it or someone brought it over to them and they have
come into contact with Mexican packages and so, they were placed in
quarantine and they'll be swabbed. After the quarantine, they'll be charged
for drug trafficking."
Reporter
"That must be a huge concern for you that an agency of law enforcement if
being impugned in such a terrible way."
Chester Williams
"Of course, it is a concern, I must say that the police and the
immigration, we do work together, we have a very good working relationship
and I am sure this is not going to erode that relationship, the director of
immigration and other immigration officers do understand the police have a
job to do and a matter of fact, I believe that they are even happy that
this occurred because it also gives them the ability to reveal what some of
the officers are involved in."
Reporter
"Is this particular case, can it be interpreted as an example of this
facilitation of cross border activities that ought not to happen?"
Chester Williams
"Of course it can, it can be interpreted that way. We are not sure if they
went over or they allowed someone to come over and give it to them, so we
have to ensure that we act with extreme caution and hence the reason they
were placed in quarantine."
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