Drugs - Channel 5 Belize

No Drugs or Illegal Substance Found in Royal Kahal Hotel Room

According to Gian Cho, Director of the National Forensics Science Services, investigators didn’t find any illegal drugs in the hotel room. However, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams informed reporters this afternoon that a carbon monoxide test was conducted on the same day the bodies were discovered. Although those results came back negative, another test was later carried out by the Department of the Environment. Williams mentioned that they are still waiting for those results to be provided in writing.

Gian Cho, Director, National Forensics Science Services

“So no illegal drugs, no illicit drugs, and the results revealed that the three victims all had fatal exposure to carbon monoxide. So carbon monoxide is being revealed, or has been revealed as the contributing or underlying exposure that led to the acute pulmonary edema which was the final cause of death.”

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The same day when the, or the following day, rather, after the bodies were found, tests were done inside the room for carbon monoxide and the test result was negative. Nonetheless, following information that we have gotten through the US Embassy, supported by what you all from the media had reported, there were some reports coming from persons who had stayed at the room before, indicating that they had used their own carbon monoxide tester and had detected carbon monoxide in one of the rooms. That prompted us to do another round of testing for carbon monoxide. Again, that was done by the Department of the Environment and [the National Fire Service] and we are still awaiting the results of that test that they did the second time around. So we have not received that in writing the second time around.”

Reporter

“ComPol, however, the Department of the Environment, the chief had said that they had detected levels of carbon monoxide, but you are saying that nothing has been sent in writing. Like what could be leading to that delay?”

Chester Williams

“Indeed, we have not received anything in writing from them and again, we have always been focused on the fact that we want to await the results coming from the National Forensics [Science] Services that they had sent abroad. We believe that that would have been a more accurate and conclusive finding and so we would have preferred to use that as the official release to indicate a cause of death. We are happy that the Forensics Department has now received that report, giving us a better insight in terms of a conclusive cause of death.”

Families Mourn Three Revere Women Found Dead in Belize Resort

The families of three female tourists found dead at a San Pedro resort on Saturday are grieving their tragic loss. Twenty-three-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, twenty-four-year-old Imane Mallah, and twenty-six-year-old Wafae El-Arar were found dead in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort. Their families are in contact with the U.S. Embassy, which is assisting with the investigation. Police Commissioner Chester Williams stated that a pathologist estimated they had been dead for up to 20 hours before being found. The women, of Moroccan descent with U.S. citizenship, were discovered by hotel staff after failing to respond to housekeeping. While no signs of injury were reported, authorities suspect a possible drug overdose due to vomit and froth found around their mouths. However, Mallah’s family told our colleagues at WCVB Boston that they don’t believe that they overdosed.

Muhammed Mallah, Father of Imane Mallah

“My wife talk to my daughter, no call..nothing. After two-thirty p.m. the embassy called me (telling) me that my daughter is dead. What happened? I don’t know if she died in the room, hotel. After that, I don’t know what happened. He came back to my house, her spoke to the other girls parents. Three people, same room, happy birthday vacation. This is not a problem. They are good friends, the best.”

Hajar El Khalfaoui, Friend of Imane Mallah

“So she had spoken to me about wanting to take a vacation and Wafae end Kaoutar made they rest in peace were also very good friends of hers and she was looking for a while. Last year she wanted to go on vacation with her other group of friends but she wasn’t able to because she got sick so this was kind of her redemption. My reaction at first was that it is not true, that she sick sometimes and that she goes MIA on days on end. And it happens all the time where she will be in the hospital and she won’t speak to me for two or three days and then she will just let me know that she is okay, she is in the hospital. So when they first told me I thought it was just that because they hadn’t told me about Wafae end Kaoutar yet. Then when they said it was also three and they said it might be an overdose, I know that that’s not true and I know that that’s a lie because Iman was clean. She wasn’t doing anything. Wafae end Kaoutar would never. The three of the would not die if that is the case. Iman, she is a very smart girl. She knows not to do that. She knows not to put her friends who she loves so much in that situation. There have been times where Iman when I graduated she didn’t want me to go to a party, she didn’t want to go with me because there would be drinking there. That was the kind of person she was. So when they said that it was OD I will never believe that that’s true. I am going to remember her as my sister as my best friend. I will never forget her. Iman means faith in Arabic and I know that Iman is in heaven and I know that she is much happier. She loves so deeply. She felt everything so deeply and so this life wasn’t always that easy for her. I know that God took her because he loves her and she loves God so much. She loves her faith so much. And I know that she is home now.”

Confiscated Drugs Destroyed in San Pedro

On Wednesday morning, San Pedro police carried out a drug destruction operation at the cemetery, burning a significant quantity of illegal substances seized on Ambergris Caye. The operation, approved by Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, was witnessed by representatives from the magistracy and the National Forensics Science Services. The incinerated drugs included approximately three kilograms of cannabis, six kilograms of cocaine, 374 grams of crack cocaine, and 3.6 kilograms of hashish. The burn consisted of both found property and court-concluded exhibits.

Owner of Thelma’s Kitchen Escapes Prison on Gun, Drugs Charge

Sixty-one-year-old Telesfora Arana, better known as Miss Thelma, is famous across Belize City for her delicious Belizean dishes. But today, she narrowly avoided a prison sentence after being arrested and charged with firearm and drug offenses. Miss Thelma and her common-law husband, fifty-year-old Curtis Rhaburn, were charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as possession of marijuana found at their home on the corner of Kraal and Caesar Ridge Road. The bust happened around 8:40 PM on Tuesday night. In court, Rhaburn admitted to borrowing the loaded weapon because he’s a farmer and expressed regret for his poor decision. This morning, the couple was escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. Rhaburn pleaded guilty, while Ms. Thelma pleaded not guilty. Rhaburn’s character witness, Brenton Lopez, a Customs Examiner, spoke highly of him, describing him as a hardworking family man and a decent person. Their attorney, Orson Elrington, urged the court to consider Rhaburn’s remorse, his guilty plea, and the fact that this was his first offense. However, the Magistrate emphasized the seriousness of the offense and couldn’t impose a non-custodial sentence. Rhaburn was fined $1,200 for possessing over 100 grams of marijuana, which he must pay by March or face an additional four months in prison. A verbal appeal has already been filed on Rhaburn’s behalf, and Elrington hopes he can be released on bail while awaiting the appeal hearing. Elrington spoke with News Five following the court proceedings.

Orson “OJ” Elrington, Attorney- at- Law

“ The magistrate, after – there were two accused, Ms. Thelma and her common law, Mr. Rhayburn, Mr. Rhyburn has conceded and accepted that the items found were his items, and so he pleaded guilty, um, as a result, Ms. Thelma was freed of all charges against her, however, the court, in considering its sentence,made the decision that it could not fall within the provision of the law when it comes to firearms and ammunition So the firearm and ammunition act says that once you’re convicted of it that it carries a mandatory custodial sentence So when there’s a provisional that if it is that you do not have a previous offense conviction that you can Get a non-custodial sentence Our position was and is that, um, the previous offense did not fall underneath the firearm up, and therefore, he does not have a previous conviction. However, the magistrate in coming to his decision ruled that he believes that the, any conviction, and therefore he did not have the discretion to give him a non-custodial sentence. But the magistrate did in making his considerations and mitigating factors reduce what he thought to be the mandatory five-year sentence to reduce it all the way down to one.”

Musa Still Aiming to Legalize Cannabis in Belize

It’s been over six years since Belize decriminalized the possession of up to ten grams of cannabis. Last year, the Ministry of New Growth Industries hinted at the possibility of full legalization. Today, we caught up with Minister Kareem Musa for an update. He admitted that progress has been slow but emphasized the many potential benefits of bringing the cannabis industry to Belize.

Kareem Musa, Minister of New Growth Industries

“There’s no update on it but I know that 2025 is an election year and it is my hope as minister that we’ll be able to get that on the ballot. I feel that it opened up an appetite for innovation within the private sector. Looking at new industries that might not be your traditional industries aquaculture or sugar and citrus and bananas, I see that it definitely opened up a whole realm of possibilities. It does require, however, that we amend a lot of legislation to assist industries like the cohune industry in moving forward. And so I think that while it is that the main focus of creating the new industry was to see how we can introduce cannabis as one of those industries, I think there are so many other bright ideas that have come forward and hopefully even the orange economy, the film industry, the music industry, these can be put as priorities in the next administration.”

Another Drug Plane Lands Ahead of Christmas

With just a few days to Christmas, the Belize Police Department is busy investigating the weekend landing of another drug plane. On Sunday morning, the charred remains of an aircraft were discovered in a remote part of the Toledo District. Police and BDF personnel found the plane about fifteen minutes from Dolores Village, near the Guatemalan border in southern Belize. It looks like the plane, which landed on a makeshift runway, was set on fire after its cargo was unloaded. Here’s more from Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, December 22^nd, 2024, police and BDF personnel conducted an operation in the Toledo District after reports were received of a low-flying aircraft. They made checks in the area of Dolores Village, where three miles from the village they discovered a burnt up a burnt aircraft, a jet. It was completely burnt and no cargo was found. Searches were conducted in the area where fuel was found along with some lights. An investigation is being carried out, searches continue and so far no one has been found and no type of cargo has been found.”

Reporter

“Did you get any information from JIOC?”

Hilberto Romero

“I will not say where that information came from. All we know is that it was a report of a low-flying aircraft in the area.”

Police Charge Doctor for Spiking Nurse’s Drink

Nicaraguan doctor Carlos Saborio Coze has been charged with administering noxious substances after a man claimed he was drugged by him. According to reports, on November thirtieth, a Venezuelan nurse was drinking with Coze at Little John’s Restaurant in Belize City. When the nurse momentarily left his drink unattended at the bar, he alleges that Coze slipped an unknown substance into it. The nurse recalls entering the doctor’s car and then waking up at home on December second. Police have charged Coze based on surveillance footage from the restaurant. The nurse underwent a medical examination, which revealed no signs of sexual assault. Coze, who was arrested at his home on Tuesday evening, maintains his innocence.

Trio Busted with Serious Weed Stash in Orange Walk District

Earlier today, three men were caught with a hefty stash of marijuana in the Orange Walk District. They were driving a pickup truck between Douglas and San Pablo villages when a team of officers, including the Special Patrol Unit, intercepted them. The bust totaled around one hundred and sixty pounds of cannabis. Charges against the suspected drug traffickers are still pending.

Missing Cargo on Suspected Drug Still Not Found

Last month, police rushed to the Frank’s Eddy area in Cayo District after receiving a tip about a possible drug plane landing. They found a single-engine plane abandoned on the side of the road, stripped of all its passenger seats and completely empty of any passengers or cargo. Police have identified a suspect who had previously been charged with involvement in a drug plane incident. To prevent the plane from being used for any more illegal activities, it was set on fire. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams provided an update on the case, including details about a police officer who has been charged for her alleged involvement in the crime.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Yes, we have located that individual and he has been interviewed. He was charged recently for breach of judicial order. And that matter is before the court at this time.”

Reporter

“But nothing on the cargo?”

Chester Williams

“No, we have not been able to locate the cargo and we have not been able to tie him to the plane landing. As I said, he was only wanted because I believe that he would have been able to assist the investigation. He came in and he has been interviewed, but we have nothing at this time substantial we can go on to tie him to the plane landing.”

Reporter

“And what became of the female officer who was reportedly assisting him?”

Chester Williams

“That officer has been placed on internal charges and she is on interdiction awaiting the hearing of that matter.”

Police Under Investigation for Potential Involvement in Drug Plane Land

On Friday morning, around nine a.m., police responded to a farmer’s report in the Cayo District about a possible drug plane landing in the Frank’s Eddy area. When they arrived, they found a single-engine plane on the side of a dirt road. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that all the passenger seats had been stripped out. While no drugs were found inside, the investigation is still ongoing. Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams revealed that a police officer is under investigation for possible involvement in the case.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We are still trying to ascertain exactly what cargo came on that plane but as usual we suspect that it could be cocaine. We are looking for one individual likewise who we believe may be able to provide some information to us as it relates to that plane landing. And I can also say to you, I don’t want to hide nothing say to you that we had detained a police officer, a female police officer because we believe that she facilitated a person the person who we believe landed that aircraft in, signing in at the police station outside our was stipulated by the court this person is on bail for a previous plane landing and as a condition to his bail he was ordered to report or to sign in to the Belmopan police station every Friday between eight a.m. and five p.m. Surprisingly, the same night the plane landed, he came to sign in at the Belmopan Police Station after twelve midnight. That would be around the same time the plane would be landing. And this female police officer facilitated him to the extent that she took the diary from inside the station and took it outside of the station for him to sign. That for us is an egregious breach. I’m not going to say that she is involved in the plane landing. What are actions in facilitating this individual knowing who he is to have signed in at that particular moment is extremely questionable. And professional standard branch is looking at that matter and we expect that charges will be levied against her for breach of our internal policy.”