And while police say they are cracking down on the drug trade in Bella Vista village and bringing in additional intelligence personnel - recent events put a lie to that claim
7News has confirmed that last week senior officers from headquarters intervened to release a 16 year old who had been jointly charged for drug trafficking with his father.
On 23rd December, a search was conducted at a residence in the Trench Town area of Independence village. The main resident, Bernard Linarez was arrested along with his 16 year old son - who also happens to be the stepson of a ranking officer. The police K9 detected a plastic bag underneath the bed with 121 grams of cannabis. Both father and son were taken to the police station, charged, and detained pending arraignment. But a directive came directly from a very senior officer - we are told - to release the teenager, and that was done at 3:16 pm. This is after a charge sheet for both father and son had been prepared.
And, after this, we are told, the officers involved in the search and arrest were summoned to Belmopan - and today reports tell us that the arresting officer Corporal Tush has got an immediate transfer from Special Branch in Independence to Precinct One in Belize City.
