And from that contraband bust in Orange Walk, we turn now to a major marijuana bust in the Belize District.
Reliable sources tell 7News that at around 11:20 on Saturday morning, police from the Anti-Narcotics Unit spotted a taxi van with Corozal license plates on the side of the Philip Goldson Highway, near Sandhill Village. The vehicle appeared to have broken down on the road, and so, the officers stopped to offer help. Information to our newsroom is that as soon as the officers approached the vehicle, they picked up the strong scent of marijuana. So, they searched inside the vehicle and found 11 parcels of weed behind the driver's seat. That driver was identified to us as 31-year-old Jose Maldonado, a resident of Corozal Town. At the time of the drug bust, he was traveling with his common-law wife, 27-year-old Reina Gongora, a resident of Chan Chen Village.
Because the vehicle was reportedly giving trouble to start, the cops towed it to the Ladyville station. A mechanic was called in to check on it, and when he dropped the tank on the van, he found another 20 parcels of marijuana inside. The cops eventually stripped the vehicle down and found 7 more parcels concealed under the dashboard. The total amount of drugs found in this vehicle was 21.4 kilos or 47 pounds.
At today's police press briefing in Belmopan, we asked the deputy head of the National Criminal Investigations Branch about this - one more bust of weed coming in from the north:
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero - Deputy Head, NCIB
"On Saturday, at around 10:30 p.m., police, based on intelligence received, conducted a search on a taxi van in Ladyville, which led to the discovery of 38 parcels of suspected cannabis amounting to 21.4 kilograms. Inside the van at the time were Jose Maldonado and Reina Gongora, and they have both since been arrested and charged for possession of controlled drugs with the intent to supply."
Reporter
"Sir, are these people from the Corozal District, or from the Belize District."
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
"They are from the Corozal District."
Reporter
"And the suspected origin of these drugs?"
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
"An investigation is being conducted to try and establish the origin."
Reporter
"Is there any suspicion that it's from across the border, sir?"
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
"That is a possibility. We're looking at that, and it was based on intelligence that was obtained."
Police tell us that they intended to arraign the couple today in the Magistrate Court on the charge of possession of controlled drugs with the intent to supply.
