7 News Belize

Rolling With The GSU
posted (April 7, 2011)
Last night we aired the first part in our series about the Gang Suppression Unit. It is a timely story, because presently the unit is in the center of a national debate about crime; did their stop and search of George street gang affiliates in a funeral procession on Friday precipitate the weekend's rash of murders, specifically 3 senseless murders in a 10 hour span? That's what some street information suggests - and, if true, then the police and the political directorate have to decide if they are willing to engage in a full out war with the gangs, no matter the cost.

We went looking to discover the terms of that engagement when Monica Bodden went on an operation with the GSU - which started with a briefing:…

Monica Bodden Reporting
It begins with the officers suiting up. They use a buddy buddy system - which simply means "I check you and you check me"

To make sure that all equipment is properly put together on the body… Everyone is attached with a sidearm.

And 95 percent of the team would use the MT-9 submachine guns.

Then it's off to the conference room where a planned operation briefing takes place. This is where officers are provided with the information - by the Intelligence Unit - of specific houses and areas they will be conducting searches.

This information provided includes videos and images of the specific houses and its areas chosen -while on operation - And provides officers with a visual from different angles which gives them a broader knowledge on what to expect.

And then it's off into the City Streets - with a well prepared game plan.

Our first operation was on a Saturday night - where we went into areas such as Majestic Alley, Mayflower street and Kraal Road - High Crime, gang-affiliated areas in the city.

This area is Mayflower - if you can recall this was the area where the grenade was thrown in May of 2008 -which claimed the life of 16 year old Darren Trapp and injured 11 others.

These guys - who were hanging on the block - were searched down by police for ammunition and drugs.

And then it was unto this year- just a couple yards away from where the first search on the men were conducted.

Police Officer
"We are Trying to help out the kids them."

Resident
"We are recreating ourselves."

Police Officer
"I understand you but you have the poor little babies out while you guys are smoking weed and everybody is smelling the weed."

Resident
"But we are not smoking here."

Police Officer
"Come on."

No drugs or ammunition was found in the area - but this one man was taken away by police because he owed the court some money.

And so he was detained until Monday where he paid his bill and was released.

Next stop was at the yard of Raymond Killa Gentle - the boss of Kraal Road was executed on January 14th in broad daylight on his block.

This specific yard is a well-known base for people - and is where police believe firearms would normally be stashed.

While driving through Majestic Alley - police intercepted these young men who were riding on bikes.

Police Officer
"They store stuff in the bicycle handles. They would stuff it all the way in handles."

Luckily for these boys, nothing was found on them. Later that night police received information that the diver of a certain vehicle - was involved in Drug Trafficking and so that car was tracked down and later intercepted on Barrack Road.

Where it was first searched on the street. Due to the fact that visibility was minimal - the driver and the vehicle was taken to the Queen Street police station - where an in-depth search was conducted.

Again, no drugs was found on the driver nor in his vehicle - and so he was free to go after a 4 hour search.

Our next operation with the team was a pre-dawn. We headed out at 5:00 in the morning. First stop, at a house in the Belama Phase 4 area where information to police was that the house was being used to stash ammunition and drugs for one of the biggest street gangs in Belize.

As standard operational procedure - the warrant is being read out loud to inform the household on the purpose of the search. It is also being held up for them to view but not touch.

Information such as name, date of birth and residence is taken by an officer. As the others proceed to search the house. Every area of the house is thoroughly searched.

Normally a house search runs for up to 5 hours. While searching the bedrooms - the occupant of the room is called inside to look on.

Police Officer
"We are conducting a search inside the first room. Two occupants are inside the room and the police find some illegal substance - contraband what is believe to be cannabis (weed). So we are reviewing the house by section, then we are going in the other room which is occupy by this young man and the little boy, then from there - this room - room number three which is your room and your daughter room. So we search each room section by section. However when we finish with the entire rooms we will do the inside of the house including the hall, kitchen and this area here ok ma'am. Like I mention earlier we will do it by sections, ok ma'am."

After a 4 hour search - everyone - except for the children - was taken away to the police station for drug possession charges.

Next house was on North Creek - where the entire yard was surrounded by police. The search was at the house of two brothers and police were looking for drugs.

Again, as proper operational procedures - a warrant was shown to the two occupants.

Police Officer
"I see no need for me to put handcuff on you people, but usually I do it for the protection of yourself and the safety of officers. But however I get good respond from you guys, so what we will do is search your room first, we want you to just relax there - wait here, while the officers conducts a search. "

That search led to the discovery of marijuana that was stashed in a DVD case.

Police Officer
"As you both can see this is what I find in the CD cases. This is cannabis right, you both have nothing to say unless you wish so, but whatever you say will be take into evidence. You are under arrest for drugs. Do you both understand?"

Accused
"The two of us?"

Police Officer
"Yes because at the time of the search you both are here. "

And so they were both handcuffed, a gram scale was also found - which indicated to police that the men might be selling drugs.

Police Officer
"Under the cup this is weed seeds. Again you have nothing to say unless you wish to do so. But whatever you say will be in writing and given as evidence. You are under arrest for weed seeds."

The search continued into the yard - where police began digging holes with shovels in different parts of the yard.

That led to discovery of a black plastic bag that was buried under the back stairs. Inside the black bag were smaller clear bags - packaged with weed…

At that point the two men's sister - who lives on the lower flat of the house - was asked to accompany the police to the station since the drugs was also found in her yard.

She fainted almost instantly and had to be carried away by two of the officers. She was place on a table right in the same yard where she stretched off - gasping for air it was almost as if she was going from herself. She was then placed on a chair to sit up - where she complained that her hands were getting stiffed and numb.

She kept on asking for her asthma pump that she claimed was on her center table inside her house. That pump was never found and so the officer lifted her from off the chair and carried her to the vehicle where she was transported to the KHMH.

She was being checked upon shortly after and we were told she was doing just fine. That didn't stop the search from ending.

And in the end the two men was taken away to the police station where they were charged with Possession of a control drug and drug trafficking.

The woman who fainted was also charged with Drug trafficking since the drugs was found inside the yard.

ASP Mark Vidal, Officer Commanding GSU
"The areas that were focus were the areas that are most affected by gangs. We have wanted to see more but time did not permit, but the strategy was to target the persons that gathered in the street corners and peddle drugs and also vehicles coming in and out of those areas. That was the one on Friday night. The pre-dawn operation was specific targets; we knew that certain gang members had - because of operations being conducted in the areas. So one of the operations that was targeted as that and in fact some of the persons that was found in that house were not in fact residents of that house. Then the other operation was another one where of course we found drugs buried in the sand on the premises, so there was that level of success."

"We find firearms and drugs when we go to these operations and the operation on that Saturday night was in fact base on the analytical strategy and the on pre-dawn operation that was done was based on confirm intelligence that these areas are being used as meeting venue, as an area where firearms and drugs are being kept, so that is what actually the team went out and conducted."

Jules Vasquez
"I often hear now from street sources that wherever the Gang Suppression Unit shows up and hard charges after your specific targets into neighborhoods - you will receive a few text messages saying that 'we will give the police work later' meaning that someone will drop. So I am seeing from my observation a direct cause and effect. Often times you don't see the person drop. Accepted, but for example when they have that shooting by Wagner's Lane 5pm that afternoon, the people pass in a van and sprayed. Earlier about 24hrs earlier you all had had an exchange - a standoff almost with one of your high value targets. How would you respond to that criticism that there is a direct cause and effect, wherever the GSU appears the gangs escalate?"

ASP Mark Vidal, Officer Commanding GSU
"Well i think largely that has not been the case. I think that what has happen is that they have use all type of tactics to dismay the police from engaging them and it probably work for them then but we haven't really seen it occurring now. Whilst that incident may have happen, we don't know if it was a direct result of the standoff between the GSU and the high value target. What we know is that an incident occurred and there is an investigation conducted and there is nothing in that investigation to show that in fact or anything concrete and tangible to say that in fact that was a result of the standoff that was there at the time between the GSU and those gang elements. Yes we have heard certain gang elements saying 'that since you want work, you will get work' but we don't see that translating into any actual occurrence thereafter and since October the unit has been operating and I can't really pin point any particular murder that has occurred because of the GSU for that matter provocation any situation. We are there to suppress that matter and we haven't been intimated by those little threats from them."

Accused
"I don't deal with any weed, nothing illegal chief. The last time you meet me, I work with the pre-school. I have my little girl going to school."

Police Officer
"That is what I like to hear. Take care of your little girl ok. Thank you."

Despite numerous searches we stress that only two sets of arrests were made; all other persons were released without charges and cleared of any suspicion of wrongdoing. Tomorrow, we'll have the final part of our look at the GSU ….

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