A team of custom officers had to retreat after they were attacked by gun toting, rock throwing contrabandidos on Wednesday morning near Yo Creek in Orange Walk.
Police are reporting that members of the Customs' Revenue Intelligence Unit were in the area when they attempted to intercept a white car and blue van. The van stopped and its two occupants jumped out and escaped while the car sped off. Left abandoned in the van were 10 cases of Mexican beer and 17 plastic containers of gas. The officers were confiscating the items when the white car returned and a group of men emerged one of them armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. We are not sure if he fired but the custom officers did come under attack from rocks. The custom officers eventually had to flee and later returned with police officers, too late though because both the men and the contraband goods were gone. Police have tracked down the driver of the car and he is detained.
The Revenue Intelligence Unit is an enforcement arm of the Customs Department made up of untrained personnel, selected for the job over customs officers with paramilitary training.