GSU says McAfee's research facility had unlicensed weapons

The GSU has sent its own press release about the bust at McAfee's residence. According to the release, a joint operation between the GSU, the B.D.F. and the Belize Special Assignments Group (B-SAG) also an arm of the police department conducted a search on the premises of John McAfee, at Tower Hill, Orange Walk District. And a string of illegal activities seem to have been happening.

The property, the site of Belize Ecological Foundation Ltd, consists of nine houses, a shed, a freight container and a warehouse, all enclosed by a perimeter fence with two guard huts at the entrance. According to the GSU, it announced its presence and purpose was to search for drugs and illegal firearms. Two armed guards were observed on the compound, and upon directive immediately surrendered. Simultaneously the houses on the premises were cleared, one of which was serving as a laboratory. Present on the premises at the time were John McAfee, his girlfriend who is a seventeen year old Belizean minor, five security guards. During the search ten firearms-seven, twelve gauge pump action shotguns; one, twelve gauge single action shotgun; one Taurus nine millimetre pistol and one, nine millimetre CZ pistol were found. Five air rifles with scopes resembling sniper rifles that use six point two six millimetre slugs were also found and two hundred and seventy twelve gauge cartridges. Additionally, thirty nine millimetre rounds and twenty point thirty-eight rounds were also taken. According to the GSU, McAfee produced a company firearm licence for all the above firearms except the single action that is licensed to Tyron Morales and the nine millimetre CZ pistol.

Analysts at the Forensic Laboratory, and personnel from the Ministry of Health were taken to inspect the facility and samples of an alleged antibiotic apparently being manufactured at the Laboratory were also taken for analysis. The Ministry of Health has already confirmed that no licence has been granted to McAfee or any of his agents to manufacture antibiotics in Belize. Doing so without a licence is an offence under the Antibiotics Act.

Further investigation led into a query regarding the employment of the security guards. This revealed that only two of the four guards on the premises were licensed to act as security guards.

And in regards to the fatally wounded man's best friend, the GSU says that three of the eleven dogs on the premises attacked and bit one of the officers on his right thigh. The same dog then attacked a B.D.F. soldier who responded by fatally wounded the dog.

At the end of the search, three of the security guards were arrested and charged for "Providing Security Services without a License". While McAfee, who was initially detained and charged for the offences of Kept Unlicensed Firearm and Ammunition, was later released. This aspect is still under investigation as no such licence has yet been found in the records at Police Headquarters.

Channel 5