If you have ever lived in a third world country, and worked with their police, local politicians, and military; you’d consistently find that they know what goes on everywhere outside of the shanty towns. Shanty towns don’t make them money, nor give them prestige. Every one else if fair game.
There is too much corruption to be able to build a facility and hide for 5 years there. A lot of people got paid, even if they were ideologically aligned.
Exactly. You've got to think that the cops would initially want to check out who's there and what are they up to, if only to shake them down for "protection" money. Somebody had to be there telling all the snoopy officials "Stay away".