There was a drug bust in El Salvador on July 19 which netted 880 pounds of cocaine that was reportedly headed for the Corozal Free Zone in Belize.

The drugs were hidden in 48 buckets that were supposed to contain frozen pineapple juice. Instead the buckets each carried 4 to 6 kilos of cocaine and were being carried in a refrigerated cargo truck that was part of two shipments bound for Belize.

One of the trucks arrived at the Benque Viejo border on July 21, and it was declared to indeed have only frozen pineapples after being checked and cleared by Customs authorities in El Salvador. That shipment made it to the Free Zone but its contents began to rot after being left unrefrigerated for more than 48 hours. The shipment of frozen pineapple, reportedly valued at $65,399 dollars, was later discarded after being searched by Customs and the Police K-9 Unit in Belize as well.

The other vehicle, however, was intercepted in El Salvador by anti-drug agents who used drug-sniffing dogs to find the nearly 500 kilos of cocaine, supposedly valued at approximately US$15M, which was stashed in four dozen buckets of frozen pineapple pulp. It was being driven at the time by a Nicaraguan national, 26-year-old Juan Matamoros Giron, and bore Costa Rican license plates. It was allegedly traveling from Panama.

Shipments such as this appear to have been coming into the Free Zone for quite some time and there is information stating that samples of the pineapple were sent to CPBL a few months ago to be tested after some checks were made; however, they came back negative for drug traces.

This was done because Belizean authorities have been suspicious of these types of containers which are destined for Mexico, which actually produces its own pineapples. Normally, the shipments come into the Free Zone from Costa Rica and are then transferred directly to Mexico via refrigerated container trucks.

Reports on 7 News suggested that the containers usually come into the country under the names of companies which are based in the Corozal Free Zone. These companies are allegedly registered in the name of a Venezuelan Lebanese businessman from Columbia who goes by the name of Samer Akil Rada.

He was a former member of the Corozal Free Zone Executive Board. According to media reports, the businessman has not been seen since the time of the bust on July 19th. The warehouses of his two stores at the Corozal Free Zone have been searched by Customs and police, but nothing incriminating was found.

Earlier this week, Samer Akil Rada was interviewed by the Mexican newspaper Informativo Quintana Roo, in which he said that he is not in hiding and that he is currently working with the authorities. He said that in no way was he aware of the illegal contents of the container.

According to the article, the businessman says that his company, CargoYo, has been assisting 138 clients import and transfer their products from all around the world over the past 8 years. It provides parcel delivery and transportation services exclusively to the Free Zone from Central America.

During the interview given to the Mexican newspaper, Akil Rada did not mention who contracted him and his company to clear the container through Belize, nor did he mention the final destination for the container.

In respect of the container that was searched at his warehouse, Akil Rada told the newspaper that his company was only contracted to transport the container from the western border to the Free Zone. Akil said that the company responsible for the packing of the container is Costa Rican-based company, Productos Florida S.A. (Sud America).

His company was only contracted to clear the container at the Belize border with Guatemala and then ensure the container would arrive safely at the Corozal Free Zone, he said.

According to the businessman, employees of the Costa Rican company loaded the container and his employees were not involved.

In an attempt to clear his name and the reputation of his business, Akil Rada stated that he had not been contacted by the authorities in respect to the matter. Although he has spoken to the Mexican media, he is yet to make himself available to speak to any Belizean media house.