ComPol Responds to Critics over “Missed Red Flags” Before Tropic Air Hijacking

As we reported on Thursday, Akinyela Taylor, had exhibited several red flags in the few days he spent in the country.  Last week, we told you of two incidents that if handled differently, could have changed the trajectory of what happened today.  Earlier this month, Taylor reportedly went to the international airport, attempting to get on a flight back to the US via United Airlines.  The problem is he didn’t have a ticket to board the plane.  He created a commotion in the departures’ section which prompted the airport security to remove him from the area, and he was put out of the airport.  To the best of our knowledge, the US Embassy was not notified of the incident.  A few day later, on Saturday, April 12, Taylor went north, and attempted to go to Chetumal, Quintana Roo.  He was not granted access and was forced to return to Belize’s Santa Elena Border.  Once on the Belize side, he was denied entry back into the country.  He somehow ended up in the Corozal Free Zone where he spent the Saturday night in an abandoned building.  At some point, he came face to face with Corozal Police and Free Zone security which again caused a commotion after he allegedly assaulted the police.  The police officers attached to the MIT Unit reportedly received instructions from the Northern Regional Commander to detain Taylor and take him to the Corozal Police Station.  Those orders were defied, however, and the man was set free.  Today, Police Commissioner Chester Williams spoke on these two cases.  In the first instance, he says it wasn’t until this morning that he heard of Taylor being ejected from the airport.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “I personally was not aware of him being rejected from United Airlines flight. In terms of him assaulting police officers Corozal I am not aware of that either. I know that following the incident there was certain information that came to me of his involvement in certain things in the north and I had communicated with Mr.Rosado and Rosado had said to me that he did give a directive for the person not to be detained but the explanation that he gave I could understand why he gave that directive. There was nothing that was told to Mr.Rosado that Mr.Taylor had assaulted any police. There was an immigration issue because I think when he went to immigration he was coming from the Mexican side and there was no stamp to show that he had left Belize to go into Mexico and so when he was coming back into Belize immigration was requesting the stamp that indicated that he had left the country and there was none and I think based on that immigration denied him.”

Love News understands that the National Security Council met shortly after Thursday’s hijacking.  Police Commissioner noted that while the Prime Minister is yet to make a statement to the nation on this national security issue, he has ordered to have tightened security at all commercial aerodromes.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “I’ve heard a number of scenarios being reported by the media houses to a great extent where it would appear as if they’re trying to throw this entire situation into the laps of the police, which is normally the case. We are a society that sits and points fingers and always tries to find somebody to blame and we take our minds off the real issue. But just to give a synopsis of that incident we spoke about. As has been reported Taylor first arrived into the country through the Philip Goldson International Airport. He subsequently left the country and may have gone over to the Mexican side. Apparently when he went to Mexico he did not pass through immigration so there was no stamp from immigration to show that he had gone over to Mexico and vice versa from Mexico back into Belize and so based on that immigration had denied him entry into the country at the northern border. In a situation like that where a person is refused entry what happens is that that person is sent back to where they’re coming from. If it was a situation where they were coming through the PGIA what immigration would do they would issue a RLL, Refuse Leave to Land. You would then be put on a next flight back out of the country. In this case it’s a land border so what happens is he’s not allowed entry. So he went back over to the Mexican side. I think sometime on Wednesday night he was seen in the Free Zone. Again, to be in the Free Zone if you’re coming from Mexico you don’t pass through immigration you would know the immigration station is after the Free Zone so once you are a tourist from Mexico or whatever you can have access to the Free Zone without immigration authorization. So he was found there, the matter was reported to Mr.Rosado. Mr.Rosado had directed the police that there was no offense committed because he was in the Free Zone area and he would not have reached immigration so not even an immigration offense would have been committed. So based on that he had said that the person did not commit any offense and I totally agree with Mr.Rosado and any detention then would have been an unlawful detention. It so happened that Mr.Taylor I guess went back over to the Mexican side and how he eventually returned into the country we don’t know but again I’ve said before our border is very porous in that area so he could have easily slipped back into the country. We’re also hearing information now that he had assaulted some police officers which was never reported to myself or Mr.Rosado.”