Police Intercept Cache of Weapons and Ammo at Port of Belize; Intended Recipient Remains a Mystery

Last week, the police intercepted a cache of weapons and ammunition, but who were the guns meant for? That’s what the police are still trying to figure out. On Friday, a high-powered rifle, three pistols, seven magazines, and more than eight hundred bullets, were found inside a cardboard box at the Port of Belize. The shipment was sent out of Miami and addressed to a local Customs Broker in Belize City, who was detained for questioning. However, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says the authorities released the man after finding no evidence to prove he was the intended beneficiary.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Yes we got a tip and it is not the first time. I could recall in recent months this is about the third time that we have found weapons.”

Ernesto Vasquez, Host, The Morning Show: But you can’t trace it back ? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police:  “Yes we do that. There’s a lot of things that we do, I will not go into it.”

Ernesto Vasquez, Host, The Morning Show: When I used to bring in my chair even the Prime Minister knew where the chair came from by the time they’re done with me.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The sending address is normally sent to the US in one case we had sent the sending address to the US where we found a gun here at the port and we sent the sending address to the US it was an address in Chicago and when Chicago police went they ended up catching the person with drugs, firearms and all other sorts of things so that person was arrested.”

Ernesto Vasquez, Host, The Morning Show: But what about this end ? Who receives it ? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The person who received it we could not have charged anybody because nobody went to claim it.”

Ernesto Vasquez, Host, The Morning Show: But it has to be addressed to someone, it doesn’t just ….

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Many times the address that is placed on it is wrong and in this case what happens is that it came in the name of the customs broker because how the system is structured now it goes to a customs broker who receives then does the brokerage and then goes to the person. So the customs broker….’

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: There must be a consignee  ? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The customs broker is the ….”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: But then he has an end result. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The end result is an address in Guatemala which I found to be very strange because why would we import a gun to Belize that’s intended for Guatemala ? You would take that risk to cross another border with it ? Makes no sense to me but it’s a part of the investigation process we’re still looking at it.”