Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2016. 9:44 a.m. CST.
By BBN Staff: Last week Friday in the Ceibo Grande Creek area (about 5 miles from the Belize and Guatemala border) of the Chiquibul National Park two Guatemalans were caught panning for gold.
A joint patrol of BDF, FCD park rangers, and police detained: Anibal Quiix Cucul of Monte Los Olivos, Peten, Guatemala and Jose Amilcar Garcia Morales of Huite, Zacapa, Guatemala.
The men were taken to the San Ignacio Police Station and charged for illegally operating inside a protected area without any permit and for illegal entry into Belize.
Quiix told the patrol that he had been to the Chiquibul 7 times to pan for gold and had collected 2.5 grams of it which he sold for 500 quetzales in Guatemala.
The Mining Unit has not yet informed if they will charge the men for extracting minerals without a permit.
The illegal operations by Guatemalan xateros/poachers have ongoing for several years now and it is estimated that over $60 million is the cost of Guatemalan illegal activities in Chiquibul.
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