At the top of the news we showed you the new security measures at Belize's municipal airports. But, security experts agree, that's only a band aid for gaping vulnerabilities in the very lax domestic air travel regime. The truth is Akinyele Taylor should have been on what the Americans call a no fly list. Possibly, he might have also been in police detention. And, certaInly, he should have been called to the attention os his embassy. But, multiple red flags were ignored, and some of those flags weren't even hoisted. This weekend, Jules Vasquez put the pieces together:
What depths of personal unraveling-and lack of institutional oversight-allowed one man to weaponize a domestic flight in Belize?
Security footage from Thursday, April 10th, shows Taylor outside Belize Dry Cleaners. He appeared travel-weary, resting a large backpack at the entrance and sitting before heading inside.
By Friday, April 11th, he was back-this time paying to have laundry done and chatting casually with staff. They say that the day before, he had asked how to get to the airport. Now, he wanted to know how to get to Corozal.
In true Belizean fashion, one employee even met him at the terminal to help guide him to the right bus.
He went to Corozal - and attempted to enter Mexico. On Sunday, April 13, Immigration personnel denied him entry into Belize and called the police Mobile Interdiction Unit. Taylor was not detained.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The hijacker came into the country, well, attempted to enter the country over the weekend through the Belize, northern border, and he was refused entry by immigration. So we're still wondering how eventually came in. But again, we all know the porous nature of the border, so he might have came in illegally."
He ended up in the Corozal Free Zone, spending the night in an abandoned building.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am told at the free zone last night involving the same hijacker. So he seems to be a problematic person and so that is what we know about him."
He had some type of altercation - where he did assault officers and persons in the zone - and was considered a threat. But, again, he was briefly detained by police but not charged - and the US embassy was not called.
He next re-appeared on Holy Thursday where he booked a Tropic Air flight from Ranchito Airport in Corozal, headed for San Pedro Town. What followed was a terrifying hour and forty minutes in the air.
The hijacker, later identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, took control of the flight by stabbing the pilot and holding him at knifepoint while demanding a change of direction to be flown to the United States. As the injured pilot somehow remained composed, Taylor forced the aircraft to circle above the PGIA and out toward Caye Chapel. His demands were that they find somewhere to land and refuel.
But after one hour forty minutes circling, time ran out.
With only about 20 minutes of fuel left, and despite having resisted landing at PGIA earlier-aware that police would likely be waiting-Taylor was ultimately compelled to let the pilot bring the plane down.
Three people were seriously injured in the ordeal: the pilot, who had been stabbed; and two passengers - one who carried his firearm on the flight and shot Taylor. Moments after the plane touched down, Taylor was dead.
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