Akeem Gamboa fired from the BPD and wanted by police

Akeem Gamboa – he is the main man wanted at this hour regarding the weed sweets that were distributed to several children and adults earlier this week.  What we have learned so far, is that the sweets were imported to Belize.  The barrel of sweets was to be delivered to Gamboa, but was confiscated by Customs officials and handed over to the Police.  By all indications, it is a bad week for Gamboa, as not only is he wanted, but he got fired from the department today for a separate incident.  

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “We were told by customs that the barrel in which the gummies were imported was imported in the name of one Akeem Gamboa. Akeem Gamboa was a police officer on interdiction, he has been on interdiction for two years now following a fight that he had at the Dangriga Town Police Station about two years ago. When we checked with customs today, because normally what would happen when barrels come in customs would receive the barrels and then the owners or the persons in whose name the barrel would have been shipped would go to customs and claim the barrel or whatever goods may have come in and we checked with customs today and up to today the barrel and the other content of the barrel is still at customs and was not claimed. So while yes the barrel was imported in the name of that individual no one had gone to claim the barrel at customs. Now due to the newscast yesterday there are certain things that we intended to have carried through but you would no longer be able to do that because of what was said on the news yesterday and that basically blew what the police had intended to do in terms of a sting operation. That is now gone through the window. Nonetheless I can say to you that Akeem Gamboa was tried in a tribunal and was convicted of that fight in the police station in Dangriga. He was also tried in the Magistrate’s Court and was also convicted for that fight and so today he was dismissed from the police department so he’s no longer a police officer as of today.”

As for the drug investigation, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told the media that a sting operation was planned, but it got foiled due to reports in the media.  He explained that when an investigation such as this one is being done, there are multiple factors to be considered before detaining or arresting a suspect.  

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Due to the fact that the content of the barrel we believe it was laced with something but we’re not sure. So what was being done was that the content would have been removed, certain content would have been removed, those things that we believe were laced and sent to the lab, we would have gotten the result from the lab and then it would have been placed back in the barrel and they would have done a sting operation, called whoever to come and pick up the the barrel and see if they would have come but because of the newscast yesterday we can no longer do that. Secondly no one had gone to claim the barrel and you and I would know that to import something from the states in a person’s name it would require more than just your name one that item for you to be prosecuted. It would need to have gone further so we were hoping that perhaps someone maybe Akeem or someone on his behalf would have gone to customs and claimed the barrel and the other content because they had not known that customs had received it and once that would have been done then we would have created the nexus between the person who comes and claims and the barrel because that nexus is very important. That will no longer be able to be done I can say but I know police in light of what had transpired police have been looking for Gamboa since yesterday to interview him. We already know what the answer is going to be. He will say whatever but we’re still going to go through the process of interview to see what if anything can be ascertained from him as it relates to the importation of those gummies.”