Earlier in the news, we told you about the latest suspected drug jet that landed in Belize. It was found in Stann Creek, across a lagoon, and a couple miles into grassy plains. Our news team traveled south this morning and found that a few overnight workers at a shrimp farm had heard when the jet landed. The police and BDF soldiers were in the area from before daybreak, commandeering the farm's boat to get to the jet. But our team made the hike on foot and only just got back into the studio after 6:00. Here is Courtney Menzies with her story.
Courtney Menzies
"This Gulf stream G2 jet landed here, near a shrimp farm off the Southern Highway, its contents completely emptied by the time police could even arrive, and reports are, it was ferried out of the country by sea. This is the third reported landing in two weeks and just like the last two, no arrests have been made, and no drugs have been found."
And to get to this jet, you'd need to cross over a lagoon. But while the police officers and BDF soldiers used a boat, our news team went on foot – a 40 minute trek through mud, grass, and precarious makeshift bridges.
And this afternoon, the ComPol explained what happened after the jet touched down in Belize.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"Now while the plane was on the ground we had had aerial assistance from the Mexican air asset and they had indicated to us play by play what was happening and they said that there was several ATV's and there were three boats right by the lagoon and the cargoes were loaded from the plane the ATV's were used and then the boat took the drugs through the sea, perhaps took the drugs through the Mexican side to the sea. We found a number of small items including an ATV that was submerged in the lagoon."
And if the cargo on this jet was cocaine, then it carried at least a tonne into Belize and across the sea. The compol says he fears more are on the way:
Jules Vasquez
"As we go into March and these dry months when they have more options for landing the number of landings will intensify."
Chester Williams
"Certainly we anticipate that and it is something we're looking forward to and planning for. It is extremely difficult and I certainly wish that the Belizean people would understand the challenges that confronts us. Like look for example, last night because of the amount of areas we had to deploy, all we had was 4 police officers that were going to respond in the Monkey River area, 4 police officers responding to perhaps 20, 30 heavily armed men dealing with a drug plane, is some what tantamount to sending these officers to commit suicide but despite that, they were still prepared to go."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you have any specific knowledge or all you following any leads of law enforcement involvement in this landing?"
Chester Williams
"At this time, there's no intelligence to suggest that members of the security forces were involved in this landing, neither the previous one we had in the black burn area."
