7 News Belize

Alleged Human Trafficker Faces Huge Fines In Court
posted (March 20, 2013)
For the last 2 nights, we've been reporting on 43 year old Salvadoran Irma Hilda Alaz Azmitia, the woman who is suspected to have orchestrated a human traffic operation of mostly children through the PGIA. Well today, she was finally arraigned at the Magistrate's Court.

As we reported, Alaz Azmitia is believed to have been the handler for four minors and an 18 year old who were supposed to be trafficked to the USA on a USAIR Flight on Sunday. But, a police source picked up intelligence that led to her arrest and the interception of the 4 minors and an 18 year old. The five persons comprise two females, aged 18 and 14 and the three males -boys aged, 9, 10, and 13.

They are all Salvadorean and arrived in the country last week which is when false Guatemalan passports affixed with bogus US Visas which were prepared for them.

This afternoon, Azmitia appeared in the Belize City Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Adolph Lucas in Court #6.

She was charged with 10 immigration offenses, 5 counts of assisting another person to remain in Belize by attempting to use a falsified passport, and 5 counts of unlawful possession of documents.

She wasted no time and pleaded guilty to all offenses, and Magistrate Lucas sentenced her to pay 10 separate fines to a total of $15,500, which she had to pay forthwith, and if she defaults she will spend 7 years and 1 month in prison.

While she expressed that she can pay the fine by 4:30 this evening, she ultimately could not and she was escorted into the custody of the Immigration Department, where she must make positive indications that she can pay those fines.

A removal order was also granted by Magistrate Lucas for her immediately expulsion from the country as soon as she either pays the fine or serve the time.

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