by Marco Lopez
ORANGE WALK, Thurs. Oct. 13, 2022
Last week, police found BZ$3.1 million in undeclared cash during a two-day, tri-agency raid carried out at the Caribbean International Brewery Company factory in the Orange Walk District. This is the facility at which production of Mine Beer—a recently introduced alcoholic beverage that has been gaining ground in the Belizean market—takes place. That company’s brand, however, has possibly been damaged due to allegations of human trafficking made against it after the discovery of 8 Chinese nationals, including the owner of the company, at the factory, despite the expiration of their visitors permits. The 8 Chinese men were charged with violating the conditions of their visitors’ permit, while the manager at the facility, who is a Belizean, is facing 8 counts of employing persons without a valid work permit. They were arraigned at the Orange Walk Magistrate Court in Friday and subsequently remanded to the Belize Central Prison, but their attorney, Marcel Cardona, is reportedly trying to get a bail hearing for the men held as soon as possible.
Officers from the Police Department and Immigration Department personnel, along with members of the Anti-trafficking of Persons Unit, carried out the two-day sting operation on the strength of a search warrant for illegal labor at the facility, which is located in Carmelita Village in Orange Walk. During the search, the $3.1 million dollars, which reportedly included some US currency, was found in a safe at the facility. The owners of the company are reportedly claiming that the money that was found is actually the proceeds of September beer sales, but the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) currently is in possession of the cash, and according to the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, they are this week applying “to the court for permission to seize the money, pending the outcome of a money laundering investigation.” During that investigation, they will determine if indeed the funds are proceeds from legal sales and if the requisite taxes were paid.
In regard to that investigation, Commissioner Williams stated at a press briefing this week, “It’s an ongoing investigation. I am sure that if it is that they can produce receipts indicating the collection of that sum and to show that they have paid their fair share of taxes, then the Income Tax and the FIU department are going to release the funds back to them. It is not illegal once you can prove how you get it and you can prove that you have paid your fair share of taxes.”
He went on to point, however, to allegations of a grave nature being made against the company—that it may have been withholding the passports of the Chinese nationals found during the raid, but he noted that those Chinese nationals are not cooperating with the police, who are carrying out a human trafficking investigation. The company has said that, in fact, the men found themselves stuck in Belize due to Covid-19-related travel restrictions in China, and that they had been scheduled to leave the country on October 11.
When speaking to reporters yesterday, however, Commissioner Williams countered that explanation by stating, “… that’s another issue with them and their country, but even if that were the case, the Immigration Department in Belize is open, and if they wanted to stay longer due to unforeseen circumstances back in their country, then they could have visited the Immigration Department and asked for an extension.”
The company is claiming, however, that the raid was malicious and has accused the Police Department of being used by entities with a separate agenda.
Today, AMANDALA spoke to the public relations personnel of the Caribbean International Brewery Company, who told us that there is no additional information that they can currently provide, since the matter is before the courts, but they are planning to hold a press conference in the near future with their attorneys.
