U.S. supplies customs with drug dog
Thursday, January 17, 2002

Today, the Belize Customs Department got "Power", and guess what, it
comes on four legs. That's right, today the United States Ambassador to
Belize, Russell Freeman handed over the first canine for the Customs
Department to comptroller Omar Sabido. Power's speciality is narcotics
detection and for the past six weeks, has been bonding with his handler,
senior customs examiner Angel Cocom. According to Cocom, this man's best
friend will be a drug dealer's worst enemy.


Angel Cocom, Senior Customs Examiner
"Belize is like a transit point, so we have to be on the alert at all
times, and that's the whole idea behind this. We also quick access to
the port and all those containers with cargo originating from the
Southern part of our continent. There will be a better way to screen
them, and more than likely if there is any in transit drugs, we will do
our best to locate them."


Janelle Chanona
"So you're ready to start working hard? Because as a one-man team
attached to the unit, you all will be putting in some long hours
right?"


Angel Cocom
"Yeah. I realised that and I've gotten into this, so I'll be working
double time at all times, seven days of the week, twenty-fours hours of
the day I will be on call. Hopefully in the near future we will be
sending another officer and we will have some assistance probably before
the middle of the year."


In addition to paying for Power and his training in Guatemala, the
United States government has also built his new home on the customs
compound. The total cost of the donation is approximately twenty-two
thousand Belize dollars.

Marty,

We saw a very serious dog in the Customs area several times two-three years ago. Maybe it was just a huntin' dog they brought in to pose with after a hard night of chasing iguanas.

CC