7 News Belize

Man Says GSU Planted Drugs On Him
posted (April 30, 2012)
Last week, on Wednesday and Friday, the Gang Suppression Unit conducted major operations In Corozal and Belmopan which netted a large quantity of illegal items.

On Wednesday, at about 9 p.m the GSU searched the home of 33 year-old Ex- Police Constable Ryan Genus, also a resident of Sixth Avenue Corozal Town.

Genus and his girlfriend, 19 year-old Keisha Ramclam, originally of Independence Village, were both present at the time when police found an undetermined about of crack cocaine in the bedroom.

The officers also found 2.8 grams of cannabis in a plastic zip-lock bag in the yard.

As a result, Genus and Ramclam were both jointly charged with 3 counts of possession of a controlled drug.

The GSU's intelligence told them that Genus is a reputed drug peddler in the area. The unit says there were several persons who reportedly confessed that they were there to the buy drugs from Genus.

On the same day, at around 10 a.m., the GSU conducted a search of the residence of Arthur Saldano, aka OG, a 42 year-old businessman of #59 Ninth Street, Corozal Town.

Present at the time of the search were Saldano and his common-law wife, 22 year-old Shamira Patt. The officers found a black plastic bag, which contained 0.9 grams of weed, inside a drawer of a dresser in their bedroom.

It's a small amount, but according to the GSU's information, Saldano has links with a major Belize City gang.

At around 1:50 p.m. that same day, the GSU searched the residence of 44 year-old Delma Hall, a domestic of #57 San Antonio Village in Corozal.

The house was searched in the presence of Hall and her son, 26 year-old Diovan, which led to the discovery of 63 grams of cannabis behind the house, in the yard.

They were jointly charged with drug trafficking.

10 minutes after the search on Hall's residence, the officers searched an abandoned, overgrown lot behind the house, which led to the discovery of 49 grams of cannabis. This was deposited as found property.

After those operations, the GSU went to Belmopan, and they conducted searches between 9:50 p.m. that same Friday and 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Whilst in Belmopan, the GSU conducted a search on the 2 storey house located at #12 Tapir Street, which belongs to 41 year-old Russell Hyde.

Nothing was found on the upper flat but police also searched the lower flat which led to the discovery of 2.5 grams of crack cocaine inside the elbow of a PVC pipe. This flat is occupied by Roger Banner and Edison Banner, both of whom are 25 year-old construction workers.

Only Banner was present at the time of the search, but the GSU said that they detained Hyde and took him back to the house to witness the search.

They GSU eventually charged Banner and Graham with drug trafficking.

The officers also searched a store room which Hyde claimed was his. A galvanized pipe in the store room was searched and inside were 2 black plastic bags containing 28 grams of crack cocaine. A further search inside a length of PVC pipe yielded 5 transparent plastic bags containing a total of 142 grams of crack cocaine. The search continued inside the storeroom where inside a box that contained an outdoor lamp revealed another transparent bag with 12 grams of crack cocaine.

As a result, Hyde was charged with 3 counts of drug trafficking.

Hyde today came to our studio to say it's all a set up. Here's how he explained what was found on his property:...

Roger Banner, Charge by GSU
"We already did the search together with them to witness that nothing was in the place. We search the entire store room and nothing was in there, it was clean. They told me that the sore room was clean, that they didn't find anything. I ask them to secure back the store room, so they took me back inside. I cannot see what they are doing outside."

"When they brought him and start the search again then they ended up finding those pieces of things - the crack cocaine and stuff."

Jules Vasquez
"Might it be that when you were there they didn't search thoroughly enough? Because they say that they found all the drugs in pipes; PVC pipe and some in a lamp."

Roger Banner, Charge by GSU
"The PVC pipe that they were talking about was right there; they searched the PVC pipe in front of me thoroughly and nothing was in the pipe."

Russell Hyde, Charge by GSU
"So then all of a sudden then went inside the store room direct to these things. Like they knew where these things were. They went directly and pick up these things and say that they found it there. They are the ones that put it there because they had already search the area with Roger and didn't find anything. They already break the law by breaking into the place."

Jules Vasquez
"It's not a little bit of crack cocaine that they found. This is multiple pieces in different hiding spots."

Russell Hyde, Charge by GSU
"If they had looked before they would have found something, you understand me. It's not one spot and nobody would hide cocaine in three different spots, you know that right. They had planted that there."

Jules Vasquez
"I will ask you this plainly sir; are you a drug dealer?"

Russell Hyde, Charge by GSU
"I am not a drug dealer, boss. I deal with my farming and stuff. I am not saying that I am a saint. But that is not the way to go on someone to search for drugs. If you already search that place with someone, you are going to pick me up from off the street five hours after and claim that you find drugs there. You could have planted it there too, so the benefit of the doubt has to go to the accuser. I am the accuser. I was never there, I am not God."

Jules Vasquez
"This is a very serious allegation. You are accusing the GSU of planting drugs on your premises?"

Russell Hyde, Charge by GSU
"I didn't have any there, it can only be for them."

Hyde also claims that the police stole ten thousand dollars in cash from him plus jewelry.

GSU Commander Marco Vidal today commented on Hyde's allegations. He said that quote, "the GSU is accustomed to facing baseless allegations. This is yet another." He adds that Hyde's claim defies logic and comes from a desperate man. He says the GSU will continue to do its work and not pay attention to what he calls "frantic offenders."

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