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Immigration Officers Turned Smugglers Part of Cross Border Corruption?
posted (August 6, 2020)

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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