– Press Release, Government Press Office, December 12, 2012 – Earlier today, Col. George Lovell, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of National Security and His Excellency Vinai K. Thummalapally, Ambassador of the United States of America, hosted the first Graduation Ceremony of the Mobile Interdiction Team (MIT) on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at the Belize Police Training Academy in Belmopan.
The ceremony commemorates a three-week training sponsored by the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) program. Eight instructors from the U.S. Border Patrol’s Special Operations Group (SOG) based in El Paso, Texas, trained twenty members of the Mobile Interdiction Team, represented by the Belize Police, Customs, and Immigration Departments. This team combats contraband and illegal smuggling on roads, highways, and clandestine border crossing areas throughout Belize.
Immediately following the ceremony, there was a practical demonstration of some aspects of the training and equipment donated to the Team. The Demonstration covered areas such as: Basic First Aid, Vehicle Inspections, Hand Cuffing Techniques, Officer Safety, Mobile Check Point Training, Small Unit Tactics, and Contraband Team Detection.
This is the first of four series of training geared towards the strengthening the MIT’s operational capacity. The cost of this initial course is estimated at over US$100,000. The U.S. Government also supports the MIT with supplies such as uniforms, bullet proof vests, surveillance equipment, generators, and vehicles, with an estimated value of US$200,000.
