ComPol Says “No Cargo” Found on Suspected Drug Plane Near Graham

Police are investigating a drug trafficking operation in southern Belize after an aircraft was found burnt on a makeshift airstrip near Graham Creek, Toledo, close to the Guatemalan border. On Friday, BDF Commander Brigadier General Azariel Loria confirmed the plane’s link to a drug ring and said the investigation is ongoing. One suspect from a nearby village has been detained. Loria stated, “it’s a drug trafficking network that we’re trying to dismantle in the south”. Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters today that a team of police and Belize Defense Force officers responded to the area and found the plane’s burnt remains. Williams confirmed there was no cargo on the plane. He added that the team stayed in the area to continue their investigation, and two individuals were eventually detained near the landing site.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Last week Thursday, after midnight, information was received of a plane that had landed in the extreme south of Belize.  That is in the Toledo District.  A team of police and BDF was dispatched to the area and upon arrival, the burnt remains of the plane were found and there was no cargo.  The operations team remained in the area for a number of days, conducting searches in the area with the hope of finding something.  And, eventually, they detained two persons who were found not too far from the vicinity of the plane landing and those two persons are currently in police custody being questioned with a view to ascertain if they have any information that could assist the police in determining who are those behind that plane landing. We had two police officers who were brought in for questioning.  And, again, that was because of certain information that we were getting and so  it was just done with a view to see if in fact the information obtained was accurate and to see if there was any involvement of these officers.  But so far, investigators have probed into this matter and we have not found anything to incriminate those two officers as it relates to the plane landing.”