No Arrest Made Yet in Police Seizure of Over 1,000 Pounds of Marijuana

A joint police operation in the Belize District on Wednesday turned up 29 large bags of marijuana and a loaded 9mm firearm. 

Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith said officers from the Gang Intelligence Investigation and Interaction Unit (GI3), the Anti-Narcotics Unit, and the K-9 Unit carried out the raid at an apartment building in Lords Bank Village. The marijuana, weighing more than 1,000 pounds, was found inside a room on the property, along with the firearm containing 12 live rounds.

No one was present at the property when officers arrived. Police are now seeking a person of interest who, according to ASP Stacy Smith, has previously come to the attention of law enforcement and has been charged for drug trafficking in the past.

“We anticipate and are hopeful that we will bring about an arrest. Even though the circumstances are not as ideal, we are working on getting the necessary evidence to put together a file and put the person before the court and hopefully secure a conviction,” Smith said.

Smith said the seizure is a product of the department’s increased investment in surveillance technology and intelligence-led policing. She declined to confirm the street value of the drugs, saying officers were still weighing the full quantity at the time of the briefing and that value would depend on both weight and quality.

Smith also declined to disclose the identity of the property owner, citing the early stage of the investigation.