Pilot Of Drug Jet May Have Lost Control
Commissioner Williams also shared details on that drug jet that landed in northern Belize, sometime between the late-night Thursday and early Friday.
As we told you, the jet was seen flying low over San Pedro Town, and about a few hours later, Belizean law enforcement received information that a jet was on the ground burning at Camp 33, Little Belize, in the Corozal District.
The best information to 7News was that the pilot most likely lost control and veered off the feeder road, damaging the front end of the jet. There was some sort of ground logistics support, which immediately moved in to retrieve the narco cargo.
This morning, the Police Commissioner gave the first public information on the landing:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"From what I have been briefed is that sometime Thursday night around 11pm thereabout, we received information via the joint intelligence operating center of an aircraft coming from South America towards our direction. Based on the information obtained the joint intelligence operating center coordinated the different teams to be deployed in various parts of the country that we would suspect this aircraft would land. The information from what I have been told came in a bit late when the joint operation center got the information, the plane was 1 hour east of Corozal District and to be able to mobilize would have required more than an hour. So you would see that they did not have sufficient time to insert the teams in the different areas. Nonetheless the Mexican requested permission to enter our air space, so that they can assist in the tracking of the aircraft. Shortly after we got the information the aircraft disappeared off the radar and the Mexican air asset could not have detected it either and so for a very long period of time there was no information updating the team about the location of the aircraft."
"Around four a.m., thereabout, the Mexican air asset left our airspace having not being able to locate the aircraft and so we were of the belief that the aircraft might have gone over Belize and left either to Guatemala or Mexico. Sometime around 7a.m. on Friday morning, we received a call that an aircraft was seen burning in the area of Little Belize. The teams were quickly mobilized and sent to the location where the burnt remains of an aircraft were found. The team proceeded to conduct intense operations within the area with the hope of locating whatever cargo may have come on that plane. Our operation lasted for two to three days and yielded nothing. So with that, we withdrew from the area. We do believe that the content of the plane was drugs, but we cannot confirm. That is our belief as what happened is consistent with what is normally done with these drug planes. The Mexican authorities were in the picture and they too conducted operations on their side of the border and they too yielded nothing from the operations."
Photos Of Most Recent Drug Jet
Earlier in the news, you heard Police Commissioner Chester made the first official disclosures on that drug jet that landed in the Corozal District last week.
Well, shortly after our story aired, photographs of the jet itself were shared with us. Seen here, the aircraft was found burning off a feeder road at Camp 33, Little Belize.
As we reported, it was seen flying low in Belizean airspace for several hours, and according to the Police Commissioner, although Belizean law enforcement was informed about it, they were tipped off a bit late. They attempted to respond, but they didn't find it until after a number of hours had passed.
It is believed that by that time, some sort of ground logistics team had already swooped in to remove the aircraft's drug cargo.
Channel 7
Finally, ComPol Divulges Details on Last Week’s Drug Plane Landing
A suspected drug plane landed in northern Belize on Thursday night and the illicit cargo that is believed to have been discharged from the aircraft is nowhere to be found. After three days of intense operations to locate the shipment of narcotics or the pilot of the aircraft that flew in from South America, law enforcement on both sides of the Rio Hondo have come up empty-handed. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was out of the country at the time of the landing, however, he has since been briefed on what took place on the night of October seventh. He shared those details with the media this morning, almost one week after the incident occurred.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Sometime Thursday evening or Thursday night, around eleven p.m., thereabout, we received information via the Joint Intelligence Operating Center of an aircraft coming from South America towards our direction. Based on the information obtained, the Joint Intelligence Operation Center coordinated the different teams to be deployed in various parts of the country that we would suspect this aircraft would land. Now the information, from what I have been told, came in a bit late when the Joint [Intelligence] Operation Center got the information, the drug plane was one hour east of Belize, of Corozal District and to be able to mobilize would have required more than an hour. So you would see that they did not have sufficient time to insert the teams in the different areas. Nonetheless, the Mexicans requested permission to enter our airspace so that they can assist with the tracking of the aircraft. Shortly after we got the information, the aircraft disappeared off the radar and the Mexican air asset could not have detected it either and so for a very long period of time there was no information updating the team about the location of the aircraft.”
Remnants of Burning Aircraft Found Near Little Belize
According to ComPol Williams, while the aircraft could not be tracked for a few hours, they were able to get a lead the following morning that the burning vestiges of an airplane was located near Little Belize in Corozal District. Several quick response teams were immediately deployed to the area.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Around four a.m., thereabout, the Mexican air asset left our airspace having not being able to locate the aircraft and so we were of the belief that the aircraft might have gone over Belize and left either to Guatemala or Mexico. Sometime around seven a.m. on Friday morning, we received a call that an aircraft was seen burning in the area of Little Belize. The teams were quickly mobilized and sent to the location where the burnt remains of an aircraft were found. The team proceeded to conduct intense operations within the area with the hope of locating whatever cargo may have come on that plane. Our operation lasted for two to three days and yielded nothing. So with that, we withdrew from the area. We do believe that the content of the plane was drugs, but we cannot confirm. That is our belief as what happened is consistent with what is normally done with these drug planes. The Mexican authorities were in the picture and they too conducted operations on their side of the border and they too yielded nothing from the operations. So that is where we are with that matter at this time.”
Channel 5
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