For the past few night we've had a lot of reports on a place called "Estero" in the Corozal District. Police and customs have made two significant weed busts, presumably coming across from Mexico. It's an illegal border crossing and a contraband hotspot - right up the road from Patchakan. Now, Patachakan is home to the UDP area Representative Hugo Patt - in fact the road to Estero passes in front of his house. Today we asked him about the contraband culture and the Customs Department:...
Hon. Hugo Patt - Corozal North Representative
"It is a concern that all of us share within the vicinity. Patchakan being the area where the entry point and the exit point. I am really glad as well that the police are intervening because the issue with not only contraband, but the issue with allege drugs and even when police has caught an amount of drugs that are coming through that area is concern for all of us. I had a meeting with the village council of my particular community and they were expressing that concern. As we speak we have some marathons being organized and it is never safe when you see vehicles coming out - it's a cat and mice game and so it is unsafe for all of us. But I know Customs for a fact is doing extra work in the area and so is the police department."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Is it complicated, because your constituents they consume and they depend on contraband to give them savings, but at the same time you have to uphold the law and what is right, I would imagine. Does this put you in a difficult position?"
Hon. Hugo Patt
"It is difficult Jules. You know we had the papaya industry that practically closed down some couple of years ago and the people in the rural communities particularly the villages they depend heavily on sugar cane and sugar cane is a seasonal crop. Whenever you have crop you would not see the kind of incidences in contraband but when the crop is off, really there is little that can be done and you know people will try to stretch a lee dollar to go cross and now as I said customs has a job to do and they will have to do it."
