Missing Cocaine Evidence Recovered in Orange Walk

The Belize Police Department is now investigating itself after a small but serious breach at the Orange Walk Police Station. Just over a gram of cocaine, evidence seized during a police operation, was reported missing after it was never properly logged and handed over to exhibit keepers. Instead, police say it was placed in a personal locker, where another officer later accessed and removed it. Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado has confirmed the internal investigation, and today, Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira told News Five the drugs have since been recovered, blaming the incident on an officer’s failure to follow established protocol.

 

Oscar Mira, Minister of Home Affairs

“That is under investigation. However, the report that I received was that it is not missing. It is there, it was just a police officer who had put it on the desk in a drawer, and another police officer went and sent it to the exhibit keeper. So it is accounted for as far as the information that I got from the Commissioner of Police. But an investigation is happening to ensure that we follow the proper protocols. It cannot be that you just leave evidence lying around. So that is going to be investigated to ensure that proper procedures are followed.”

 

Britney Gordon

“What is a procedure that should have been followed in that case then?

 

Oscar Mira

“No. When you have evidence, those evidence should follow a chain of custody and eventually end up at the keepers or the exhibit keepers possession to be signed for by the exit keeper from the person that took it there. I think that in this particular instance, that procedure was not followed and an investigation, internal investigation is happening to ensure that police follow the proper procedure.”