MINISTER OF POLICE SAYS FURTHER CHARGES EXPECTED AGAINST OFFICERS DETAINED FOLLOWING DRUG BUST

Minister of Police and Public Safety Douglas Singh has made his first public comment on the drug plane that made an illegal landing on the Southern Highway over the weekend. In a phone interview with Love News prior to today's Senate meeting, Minister Singh says early information led to the successful interception of the plane and the officers alleged to have been involved.

Douglas Singh - Minister of Police and Public Safety

"We were informed quite early of the incident and we took whatever action we needed to take to ensure that we could secure the scene and we could make any kind of detection that is possible. There is protocols that has to be followed under these circumstances where one, an aircraft is dedicated in Belize's airspace is monitored because sometimes it is difficult to predict whether it is going to and or where it is going to land. We always try to be on guard. I really must congratulate the officers who were working, the BDF, the Police, the people who worked hand in hand to ensure that we had a successful mission in this particular case. In particular I must congratulate the Corporal in Bella Vista and the three special constables who stood their ground in the face of superior officers who are suspected in this particular circumstance."

Minister Singh told Love News that it was local authorities that first detected that something illegal was taking place and mobilized quickly to make the bust.

Douglas Singh - Minister of Police and Public Safety

"There is a monitoring facility that the Anti Drug Unit in the Police Department actually monitors. There might have been initial observation perhaps when the plane was in other jurisdiction. This entire operation was conducted by the Anti Drug Unit, the Police Department and the BDF."

Minister Singh says he is confident that the investigation was carried out properly, and that all the drugs that allegedly came on the plane have been accounted for. We note that while this incident and the apparent involvement of senior police officers will further erode public confidence in the police, Minister Singh says the fact that the officers were detained and will be charged should show that serious effort is being made to weed out corruption in the department.

Douglas Singh - Minister of Police and Public Safety

"I can't speak on the matter, investigation still continues, circumstances like this especially when we have so many individuals, suspects that are involved, we have to do a thorough investigation, we have to ensure that the charges are proper that we will levy on the individuals. It is a matter for the court and prosecution. I think that you can recognize that within any organization there is going to be good people and there is going to be bad people; especially in an organization the size of the Police department, which is 1200 plus people strong. There is no secret out there that there are corrupt police officers, we are not trying to sweep anything under the rug. We are making every effort to look into this matter, to do the investigation as best as we can, so this is part of the effort to help to regain confidence in the police department. I think people must realize whether it is in the Police Department or in the family you have good people and you have bad people."

The five persons implicated in the major drug bust are: Corporal Renel Grant who is attached the Traffic Branch in Belize City, Corporal Nelson Middleton who is assigned as the driver for the Governor General, Sergeant Lawrence Humes who is attached to the Belmopan police station, Sergeant Jacinto Roches who is attached to the Internal Affairs Desk in Belmopan and thirty six year old Harold Usher, a boatman at the Customs Department.

LOVE FM