Police Commissioner Chester Williams said the identification documents found on the burned bodies of two persons aboard a plane that crashed soon after being hijacked were from Argentina and Venezuela.
“We believe that both persons came in illegally because we had checked with immigration and immigration has confirmed that there were no records to indicate that these two individuals came into the country through our legal port of entry,” Williams said, adding that police received “certain information” from Venezuelan authorities.
Williams said he has assembled a team of investigators, including “DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) members from the (US) embassy, who are working with their counterparts in Argentina and Venezuela to determine what sort of activities those two individuals may have been involved in.”
“Likewise, the Civil Aviation is also a part of that investigation; they are checking for accident causes.”
Armed robbers took the Cessna Caravan turboprop in Placencia, southern Belize. Shortly after takeoff, the plane hit a lamp post and crashed in bushes near mile 21 on Placencia Road.
“Investigation revealed that a security guard working at the airstrip was approached by four male persons armed with firearms who tied him up, then he heard an aircraft start and then a loud bang and an explosion,” said Eastern Division Regional Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero.
Williams is certain Belizeans helped steal the plane.
“We need to determine which Belizeans were working with them because they had local help. We are trying to determine which Belizeans collaborated with them. Thus, the investigation continues, and we hope to discover the answers we need.”
The security officer claimed four armed men accosted him, but Williams said “surveillance footage from the airstrip” suggests eight people went there.
Indeed, they arrived by boat and car. After the jet lifted off, the boat and vehicle sped away. We are still trying to identify those people, but we suspect they may be Belizeans participating.
It’s also possible that the boat traveled from Honduras or another neighboring country and sailed directly to that area to take the aircraft. To resolve this probe, we are still investigating those.”
Williams said “all indications” suggest the jet was hijacked to travel illegally, possibly from South America to Belize.
“The aircraft had extra fuel bottles, suggesting a long run. That will be determined after the probe, he said.
