It is the biggest drug bust ever made by Belizean law enforcement personnel. At news time, Anti-Drug Unit personnel are still weighing it, but the Police Press Office declares the total at close to 5,000 pounds. Acting on intelligence received from the Dangriga area, yesterday morning, the anti drug unit was deployed to the Tobacco Caye Range. Head of the Anti-Drug Unit, ASP Joseph Myvette told us what happened next.
ASP Joseph Myvette, Commander Anti-Drug Unit
"Yesterday upon our arrival in the area, shortly after midday, we visited the Tobacco Caye Range and approximately one mile west of the Tobacco Caye proper, in the Tobacco Caye Range, we observed three wooden houses on an island in that area. Upon making checks, one of the houses, which is approximately about eight feet off the ground, that has an open downstairs, upon making checks beneath the downstairs we observed that the sand, beneath the house, looked as though it was tampered with. As a result the sand was dug up where we recovered ninety-nine bales of which we suspected to be cocaine. As a result of that these drugs were then transported to Belize City where it has been under twenty four hour security."
Jules Vasquez,
Had any of the residences, or any of the buildings, shown any sign of recent habitation, recent occupation?
ASP Joseph Myvette,
"Right, the one where the suspected drug was found beneath, two shovels and some foodstuff were found beneath that house."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you have any idea, or intelligence, as to how recent the drugs has been planted there?
ASP Joseph Myvette,
"A time frame we do not have but being on the ground, you could have seen that the sand was recently disturbed, probably just a few days ago. And from our estimates, looking at it, we looking at somewhere in the vicinity of a street value of around BZ$30 million or just over US$83 million."
One man was posted on the island as a lookout but he escaped. Tonight, police have detained 6 locals from the Dangriga area in connection with the record find and they have been transferred to Belize City for questioning. Police say the drugs were going to be transshipped most likely to Mexico and had only been buried there for a few days, possibly waiting for the number of sea patrols to lessen.
Police will apply to the Magistrate to destroy the drugs. In an unprecedented move, Assistant Commissioner Crispin Jeffries Sr. did not allow the media to videotape or photograph the drugs, and neither will we be allowed to videotape the destruction of the drugs. Jeffries says that is for safety reasons, safety considerations that we assume have emerged since November of 2001 when Jeffries was happily seen here on our camera, destroying drugs in the sea.
