Police today arrested one of their own for speeding past a checkpoint with a trunk full of contraband cigarettes and liquor. He is Police Constable Andres Hernandez, who is attached to the Ladyville Police Station but is on long leave. His misadventure started at 5:45 this morning when he sped past the Burrell Boom checkpoint.
ACP Allan Whylie,
"A black Mazda Protégé ran the Burrell Boom checkpoint. It was pursued by Ladyville Police. Belize City was contacted. A checkpoint was set up. That vehicle upon seeing the Belize City checkpoint did an about turn. It was pursued but because it had some distance before it was lost by the police. Eventually PC Hernandez's vehicle pulled up back at the Northern Highway checkpoint. He was checked, nothing illegal was found therein but it was noted that he had committed a number of offenses, including the fact that his vehicle did not have any front nor rear registration plates affixed."
"I must say that a short while after we received a call from a person who lived on a feeder road and that person said he had heard his dogs barking and upon looking out he had seen a number of black garbage bags. He didn't know what was there, he called the police. The police visited the area and found a number of carton of cigarettes and liquor that we believe were uncustomed goods. We've not been able to conclusively link it to PC Hernandez but the sequence of events lead us to believe that that was the reason he ran the checkpoint."
Hernandez has been charged for driving an unlicensed motor vehicle; driving a motor vehicle without registration plates; and willfully refusing to stop when directed to do so by a police officer in uniform. In addition he is charged internally for three acts of prejudice to good order and discipline.
