Tonight, 7News has obtained photographic evidence that implicates two police officers in narco activity.
Their names and phone numbers of two police officers were at the top of a handwritten list - which was captured in a picture on a satellite phone. That phone was recovered from an individual in Graham Creek, Toledo - where a drug jet landed on Thursday morning.
And beside both their names was written the figure of 50 thousand US dollars.
These officers were detained last week - but released without charges. Due to the fact that they have not been charged, we have had to redact the image of the document so that the names and phone numbers are not displayed. We asked the Compol about it today:
Jules Vasquez
"We know that there was this drug plane landing. Two police officers, including an inspector, and I believe a sergeant, were detained."
"These people who are detained because their names were on a paper which said, which listed all the persons who received money. And it said that these officers by name had received 50,000 USD to facilitate this drug plane landing. Is that evidence that you all did not believe was credible or you all have chosen to overlook?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Again, I don't think it is going to be fair for you to say that, we overlooked anything. Like you rightly said, those officers were brought in, just as we would have done with any ordinary person."
"They went through the mills. We, we put together an investigative team of senior investigators to investigate that matter, to see if there was anything credible to the information. And so far, we have not been able to unearth anything to indicate that those officers were involved in a plane landing. Of course, yes, the investigation remains active. They have also agreed for the devices to be searched."
"That is going to be done by the DEA agents. And again, the fact that they agreed to that shows how transparent they want to be with the investigation in terms of cooperating. I'm not going to put the cart ahead of the horse at this time. I believe that we can be judged in terms of what we did when we once received information. They were brought in, they were interviewed, and they remained in custody for 48 hours, like we'd have done with any ordinary person. So there was no special treatment given to them. But at the end of the day, we have to be fair to people, if there's nothing to indicate anything further of their involvement, then they had to be released from custody while investigation continues."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, you recently dismissed a police officer whose name was on a quote unquote "cartel note." These people, their names are on a paper or on a, I should say, on a satellite phone related to this entire narco activity in Graham Creek."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"No, that's not true. Their names were not on no satellite phone. And you cannot compare this with the previous case. It's like comparing night and day. You know, I'm sure the circumstances involving that particular officer. it is not just today that we have been hearing about him. It has been for a very, very long time. There have been numerous information obtained as it relates to his involvement in these illicit activities."
"And so it's not the same. So I would hope that you divorce the two and do not keep them together. now."
Jules Vasquez
"However, should these officers be placed on administrative leave, also, should the, can the ANU be trusted to handle this investigation because one of their members, not charged, one of their members was implicated by something that you have seen evidence of."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The ANU is not in charge of the investigation. The investigation has been done by senior investigators of some major crime, headed by Superintendent Gonzalez and the DEA agent. Attaché is also a part of overseeing investigations. So they're, they're getting information as well. And, at the end of the day, if it is that investigation not showing anything to the effect that they are involved, then we will have to move on."
Also found on the satellite phone was a photo with the names of 39 persons - mostly villagers from the area - who are believed to have been employed in the drug plane landing. Why so many hands? The G2 Jet landed on Thursday night with what is believed to be more than two tonnes of cocaine. That was unloaded by all those hands and taken to the Sarstoon river in a matter of minutes.