And while police missed on making any arrest in that narco-maneuver, they were in position and on the ground in Ladyville on Tuesday afternoon when a big weed trafficking move was in progress.
Today, the three accused men went to court - and it's very big news because one of them is the nephew of the former Deputy Prime Minister.
Here's the story:
This afternoon at the Belize City Magistrate's Court, 30 year old Ian Patt from Patchakan Village was charged for Drug Trafficking along with 56 year old John Edwin Bowen and 43 year old Eustace Oswaldo Andrews. both of Belize City addresses jointly charged for the offense of "Possession of Controlled Drugs with Intent to Supply to Another".
Richard "Dickie" Bradley - Attorney for Defendants
"Only 3 persons have actually been charged. Those persons, 2 have been charged for being in possession for the purpose of doing business, and one was charged for being the person to be supplying it. The Magistrate - Ellis Arnold made applications to say that under the law, there's no reason to deny them bail. The Magistrate took the view that she would not grant bail. So, they have been remanded to prison until the 15th day of July. But, it is - more than likely, they will apply to a judge of the Supreme Court, who will take a different view, and will say there is no reason to keep in prison on that type of charge."
This is for the 63 pounds of weed that was seized in a bust on
Tuesday in Ladyville. Police say at about 3:45 p.m. on Scissors Tail Street, they saw Patt pushing a heavy plastic container from his Freightliner truck across the street and then Bowen and Andrews picked it up and put it in a Chevrolet Trailblazer.
When police looked inside, they found 27 bricks of weed weighing in at a total of 63 pounds.
Police believe that Ian Patt brought the weed into the city from the north. And the truck he brought it in - is registered in the name of his Uncles Hugo Patt and Pedro Patt. Patt is the Deputy Leader of the UDP and now a vehicle in his name is alleged to have been used in a drug smuggling operation. He says this vehicle does deliveries:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You heard that your nephew have been arrested in Ladyville with a large amount of marijuana, deputy?"
Voice of: Hon. Hugo Patt, Uncle of Accused/Owner of Truck
"It was a shock to the family because we had been in this business ever since the trucking business with us. Sugar cane has been a business that I have done since my childhood days and we have never had any incident as such. In the case of the truck in question, we primarily use that truck for the transport of sugar cane, these are from the different fields to Tower Hill and that's ASR, but occasionally from time to time and when available the truck is hired to do deliveries and so this is one such occasion. I checked with my brother who runs the business and he indicated to me that indeed he was informed by the driver that there was a request for a delivery and so that was what was made. In terms of what is transported, it's not something that we have a knowledge of. We were called in to do a service, we did basically the execution of that service and so I don't think that is anything that has to do with Hugo Patt. For the time being I am a politician, so you could know that the focus will be on me, but Jules, I think anybody doing this business is very much aware that there is that level of exposure."
And while he did not profess his nephew's innocence, Patt said that they will cooperate with police:
Hon. Hugo Patt, Uncle of Accused/Owner of Truck
"There are a lot of questions that come to mind, but at this point in time this is now in the hands of the authorities and as much as we do we are going to cooperate with the relevant authorities as best as possible to clarify this situation."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You all you live in Patchakan, we know that is on the border of one of the hotspots for cross-border smuggling, Estero. Did you have any awareness that your nephew may have been involved in this type of illicit smuggling?"
Hon. Hugo Patt, Uncle of Accused/Owner of Truck
'Absolutely not, we are in the sugar cane business, Jules."
And now his nephew stands accused of being in the business of drug trafficking.
In a written statement this evening, Hugo Patt said, quote, "the vehicle was hired with driver Ian Poot, for a trip to Belize City to haul dry goods….We hope to get a chance to speak with our nephew shortly to get more details." End quote.
As you heard his nephew has been remanded. Patt's statement adds, quote, "I completely and strenuously denounce the trafficking of any illegal drugs. I am fully cognizant of the devastating impact of drugs on our society…and would never, ever condone or participate in its distribution."
