Police Seize Guns and Drugs Amid SOE But Deny Deal with Gangs

The Belize Police Department is celebrating what it says is a major operation that led to several guns, drugs, and illegal ammunition being removed from the hands of criminals. Today, the department announced that it has seized a cache of deadly weapons and drugs since the State of Emergency was enacted. The bust includes twelve hand guns, one shotgun, two .223 riffles, 15 forty caliber rounds, 97 rounds of nine milter ammunition, 3326 grams of cannabis, and 997 grams of cocaine. While the department did not reveal where the items were found, it did say that it was a part of the SOE operations. However, there are rumors that the department reportedly ordered gang members to hand in the weapons and drugs in exchange for their freedom. Today, Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado denied the claim and stated that the department does not bargain with criminals. 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “I want to reaffirm our commitment to transparency and upholding the rule of law. Any alleged suggestion that our police officers are lenient with violent offenders is inaccurate and it’s another attempt, I believe, to disregard the dedicated effort of our police officers and the integrity of operations. Now many of the firearms that were seized was seized based on the interrogation and on the extensive interviews that was conducted with those individuals. And based on those information then operations were conducted”

Reporter: But today then in turn are released even though they were detained as part of the SOE? 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “Now, individuals are just detained. Remember, we started with 118 individuals that were detained and after the extensive or rigorous interview only 49 detention orders were issued. Because if there is no merit or there is no, after we assess the evidential material and there is no evidence for us to keep them longer then they’re realized. The primary objective for the state of emergency is to allow the investigators to conduct their  investigation without hindrance from the criminal elements.  And  our main objective is to ensure that we solve those violent crimes that recently occurred without any hindrance.”

While the department was able to remove the guns and drugs off the streets, so far, no charges have been brought against anyone for the illicit items. ComPol Rosado explained that the department will conduct an investigation in hopes of levying charges against the previous owners of the illegal firearms. 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “Based on the rigorous interview that was conducted with the individuals that were detained, the firearms were seized.  Now these firearms will be packaged and forwarded to the National Forensic Lab for analysis to determine if it is connected to any other previous crime. Based on that then the investigation will continue.” 

Reporter: So we might see charges brought against persons who may have handed up these weapons or led the police to where these weapons may have been hidden ?

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “There is a strong possibility that charges will be laid against certain individuals.”

Reporter: Any timeline for that? 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “Normally the forensic lab would, the analysis would take anywhere between two weeks to a month. But upon the discontinuation of the state of emergency we are hopeful that we will have several arrests.”

Reporter: Is it concerning that the criminal elements that  essentially lost these firearms will try to find ways to maybe get them back or try to find ways to get new firearms and how will the police maybe try to see how they can clamp down on that? 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police: “Like I said in one of my previous interview, addressing critical public safety issues like  trafficking of firearms, transnational crime, cybercrime, those require a proactive and a multi-disciplinary approach.  And I believe that through our prevention, intervention, and enforcement effort, we will be able to disrupt the trafficking of firearms. We will be able to disrupt or reduce the gang violence and we will be able to reduce or address the growing threat of transnational crimes. So I do believe that our efforts will continue to focus on the trafficking of illicit firearms  and it has thus far yielded great success for us.”

Rosado stated that the department will continue to work toward removing illegal firearms from criminal elements.