And, Compol Williams says that the police stats show that these sea pirates - possibly three gangs move between Honduras and Belize - but are focussing on the south:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"From what we are seeing there are three groups involved. One of the groups that we dealt with last week, they were charged with the various fisheries offenses and then they were also charged with being a member of a gang under the crime control and criminal justice act and many of them were remanded to prison on Friday. But we have two other groups that we believe are operating within the area and they frequent the Stann Creek District and Honduras. So it would appear that whenever they do their crime, whatever they would steal, they take to Honduras in exchange for guns and drugs and then they come back to Belize. And so this is an area we are working on. We are working in collaboration with the Belize coast guard, fisheries department as well as other business people within the area who are assisting the police with resources to be able to patrol the area. We have searched a number of fishing camps on different islands that we believe these thugs operate on and we are continue to do that, but they don't stay in one area, they frequent between Belize and Honduras."
Reporter
"Are these men known to police and what area do you guys believe they based?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"They are known to police. They are based in the Stann Creek District, primarily Dangriga, Independence, Placencia and around that Sittee River/Hopkins area and when they are at sea they hang out more in the channel caye, south water caye area and these close islands."
