7 News Belize

City Teenager Caught Coming From Benque With Gun
posted (December 22, 2015)
Last night we told you about the prohibited firearm that was confiscated at the Belize-Guatemala border. It's a .45 handgun, banned in several countries including Belize, because it is so deadly. Police in Benque Viejo have since arrested and charged 19 year old Kyle Carter for the possession of this illegal weapon. We spoke to Superintendent Daniel Arzu via telephone today who gave us the full story.

Supt. Daniel Arzu, OC - Benque Viejo Police
"Sometime around 3pm on Sunday 20th December, officers who were assigned at the Belize Western Border observed 3 male persons entering the entry point for the customs area from Guatemala. Those were 3 dark male persons. They seemed to be acting quite suspiciously and one of them took out an object and threw it out a window. Police went to the immediate area where the item was thrown and while going around the building, a male person also from the 3 was also going to the exact area and upon seeing the police the person remained at where he was and the officer retrieved the items thrown which revealed to be a .45 pistol."

The pistol contained six .45 rounds. At the site police also found a blue plastic bag containing twenty three .45 live rounds. With assistance from the surveillance cameras in the area police were able to confirm the identity of the person who threw the objects outside of the window. As a result 19 year old Kyle Jamal Carter of a Belize City address was arrested and charged for kept prohibited firearm and ammunition. According to Superintendent Arzu, guns do come across form Melchor. Only last week police confiscated a revolver and 20 pounds of cannabis which were both labeled as found property. In light of this we asked Superintendent Arzu if there is anything at all that they can do to curb this illegal trend.

Supt. Daniel Arzu, OC - Benque Viejo Police
"We've been working with our Guatemalan counterparts, the law enforcement authorities from Melchor de Mencos and we have a cordial relationship with them. We do information exchange and we work hand in hand and those are some of the areas that we are actually targeting and working against in order to try to minimize the activities. I am also sure that the Customs officers who are engaged at the border carry out their function diligently ensuring the relevant search and police officers are always present to either witness or also to participate in searches as well when it is deem necessary when there are suspicions and things like that. Yes we are on high alerts and my formation is one that is of stop and search. We know that it is a border area and we realize that illegal acts are often within the border camps, so we try to manage these areas adequately and vigilantly."

As for 19 year old Carter he was transported to the San Ignacio Magistrates court and remanded to prison until his next court date.

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