- BELIZE-CRIME-Home Affairs minister pleased with biggest arms bust in Belize history
Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa has commended the police for making “perhaps one of the biggest busts of high-powered firearms in the history” of Belize as discussions continue at the Cabinet level on whether or not to extend a state of emergency (SOE) that expires next Friday.
Musa said that the arms seizure on Wednesday night during an operation carried out by the Special Patrol Unit (SPU) on an island off the coast of Belize City is arguably the largest supply of illegal weapons confiscated by law enforcement that he has seen in recent history.
“I am aware that the police made perhaps one of the biggest busts of high-powered firearms in the history of this country. I haven’t seen such a cache of high-powered firearms altogether at once, so I want to commend the police on their bust,” Musa said.
He said in addition, a substantial quantity of cannabis and cocaine had also been seized.
On Wednesday night, during an operation by the Belize Police Department to locate several gang members, the SPU discovered a quantity of illegal drugs, as well as a cache of high caliber weapons.
Three men – Edwin “Drive” Flowers, Gaston Barrow, and Kenyon Dominguez – who were arrested during the police operation and charged with drugs and illegal weapons offences were denied bail and will return to a magistrate’s court onJuly22.
Meanwhile, Musa said that the SOE, which is due to end next Friday, is under discussion by Cabinet.
He said despite strong criticism regarding the effectiveness of the measure, the SOE has been successful in ferreting out known gang members, as well as their supply of drugs and weapons.
“I believe the SOE expires next week, I believe next week Friday or so. Those are discussions that we are currently having at the Cabinet level and you will know soon enough whether that decision will be made. But I will not disclose that at this time.”
