BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 14, 2020– The burnt remains of a suspected drug plane were discovered in Belize territory about three miles from Machakilha village in the Toledo District on the morning of Thursday, December 10.
The Police Department informed the public that they had received intelligence of three suspect aircraft tracks originating from South America, and at 4:41 a.m., they were made aware by their international counterparts that one of the planes crash-landed in a remote area of the country near the Belize/Guatemala border.
Additional information received by police at 6:30 a.m. suggests that the landing of another suspect narco-aircraft had taken place in the previously mentioned area, but on the Guatemalan side of the border.
The release from the Police Department further stated, “About a few hours ago, our teams arrived at the area and confirmed the presence of two burnt planes on the ground, one on the Belizean side and the other on the Guatemalan side of the border”.
On the ground, investigators found a clandestine airstrip measuring about half a mile in length, and on that strip of land, they saw the burnt remains of a 30-foot aircraft with the markings “N370JL” on the left engine.
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that his officers were deployed to the remote area to investigate. “We have been dealing with these plane landings for quite some time now, and it is extremely difficult to prevent all of them from landing. We often do not get credit for those that we averted,” he said.
Also speaking on the subject and the remote area where the landing took place, Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Kareem Musa, said, “We are in effect locking off the known or traditional landing spots…the fact you’re not hearing the landings in the spots that are known to receive these landings … and like the Commissioner said, if we were to have a media event or press conference every single time there is a diversion of an aircraft in our airspace, you would be with us every single night.”
The plane’s suspected illicit cargo and crew had disappeared by the time law enforcement personnel were able to reach the scene.