The Ministry of Health still has not gotten back the 2014 Toyota Hilux which was stolen from its Belmopan Parking Lot and traced to a yard in Melchor. It seemed straightforward enough: the Hilux was stolen - and using a GPS tracker - it was traced across an illegal border crossing and directly to a property in Melchor. Using the same GPS tracker, Ministry staff disabled the ignition - so the stolen truck could not start or be moved from the Melchor property. Benque police were called, and they contacted their counterparts in Melchor to tell them where the Hilux was. The ministry provided all evidence that the truck was theirs, and that should have been the prelude to the end of the story. Or so we thought. But one week has passed and the Hilux is still there in Melchor and hasn't moved. So what's the delay? Well, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told us, quote, "We are in cooperation with the Guatemalan authorities through diplomatic channels to ensure the return of the vehicle."
That's not saying much, and we are told that the Guatemalans are not ready to hand over the stolen truck so easily. Apparently, the Guatemalans are saying they need to verify the VIN # - which will take 15 days. Sounds like a lot for a two minute job, but they said they are doing Belize a favor because it normally takes 6 months. So, bottom line is it will take a few weeks before the Hilux is returned.
Still, there's an active car theft ring at work, and the smoking gun was found in Melchor - yet, so far, no one has been charged on that side.
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