A resident of San Ignacio claims he's being ruthlessly harassed by police. The SPU and GI3 Units have searched his house 13 times since May 27th and tonight Khader Habet is suing the police department.
Police have never presented a warrant and have broken down his door twice.
Now, some of it may have to do with the fact that his business is named "Wrap it Good"- and he sells rolling paper for marijuana and hemp products.
But, Habet says he is not a user or a seller of drugs.
And so, despite multiple searches, no incriminating evidence has been found at his residence, and he has not been charged with a drug-related offense. Today he spoke to us via zoom about his frustration:
Khader Habet
"On May 27th before all this problem started happen here in Santa Elena side with the shootings and all those stuff involving those guys over that side, May 27th they came and do a search with K-9 and they find nothing incriminating on my premisses."
"The thing is I have my trade licensed as to the stuff I sell and I have it on my fence. I have it printed big with my trade licensed the stuff that I sell. I sell hemp props, fonto, bamboos. My thing named "Wrap it Good" store. These are the stuff that I sell, right. So I have reason for trafficking at my place, but its by a school."
Jules Vasquez
"So one needs to say, you realize you sell marijuana accessories. So wherever one sees marijuana accessories like wrapping paper etc., where there is smoke, there is usually fire."
Khader Habet
"Yes, I understand that, but then I hear that its cocaine they find, not weed. An off-duty officer who work close to Mr. Gamboa who works under the SPU, he tell me that the K-9 that say find about 3 lots down from me, drugs. I don't know like O say when they came and search due to what people see trafficking, so they just wanted to see what is really happening there."
"So they came and search my premisses, they see nothing incriminating and I don't have no problem with them searching. That's their job to come and search me without warrant. They say gun and ammunition."
"I use to be involved in the system. But the last time I got charged was 2012, the case got withdrawn 2013 - never again I get involved with the law. That was an armed robbery case from way back then and I believe and like I say I don't know any of the officers to say if it's something personal to me. I believe that due to the drugs that they found the lots down from me. That is reason, because from then, they constantly coming and they never from these 13 searches I get already from May 27th, they didn't find anything incriminating from my property, because if they did, they would have taken me, because that is the reason they came."
"They never find anything and they came 2 times with warrants and they say they have warrants. They didn't show me. Nobody was there Monday, so they gone and break open my house, broke open the storeroom. The first thing they did was plugged out my camera and they plug out the wifi, but my camera stay recording, so I sent you the videos, because I still catch, it stays in the SD card. Couple of times they go and plug out the whole camera, so I couldn't video anything, because mine is with card. They did it again Monday and they did it a couple days back. I sent you it already the next one when they did it."
"Like I say it's uncalled for, because I had to move it. Right now, I am currently renting. That is my property where I live with my kids, but due to this and they put gun in my face in front of my daughter - I have to take her to see a psychologist. Yesterday when we went to the Ombudsman, she heard that I am going to report on the police them, she caught anxiety in the vehicle. They are telling us that its not because of that. But it's since all of this are happening she started to be like this - can't sleep at night and those stuff, because she is the one that screamed when the officer broke open my house door and they continue search the premisses with no one there and they plug out the wifi, but I still captured the videos."
Jules Vasquez
"So now, you feel totally frustrated that since May 27th, we are now July 24th how many times have they search your home?"
Khader Habet
"13 times with last night again. They have the caretaker detained right now for no reason."
Jules Vasquez
"This is the caretaker with the broken hand?"
Khader Habet
"I sent you the doctor paper."
Jules Vasquez
"I got it. So he is detained right now with his broken hand?"
Khader Habet
"It had a pin that came out his hand, because he had a pin in his hand and now his hand is loose and he needs $3,000 to go and fix that back."
Jules Vasquez
"But its the police who broke his hand?"
Khader Habet
"The police broke his hand, yes and they take him to the hospital."
Jules Vasquez
"And he didn't make a compliant?"
Khader Habet
"We went to the Ombudsman yesterday for that reason."
Jules Vasquez
"But he didn't make a police complaint against police?"
Khader Habet
"No, because we went to professional standards branch yesterday and they didn't want to take the complaint, so that is why I reach at the Ombudsman office at Belize City."
We did try to reach the commander of the SPU - but have been unable to connect to him. He did send us a picture of a stash of cash and says Habet is not being truthful.
