GI3 to Investigate “Gaza” Facebook Video

An investigation is underway following the release of a brief video on social media depicting a group of young men menacingly brandishing firearms. Those individuals are believed to be active members of a Belize City gang.  The amateur footage is reminiscent of a similar recording that was posted on Facebook by the Baptist brothers in July 2021. According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, the Gang Intelligence, Investigation and Interdiction Unit, G.I.3., is heading the probe into the release of the clip.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“It is very disturbing, to say the least.  To see, again, that we have some gang elements who believe that they can be showing off with their weapons on social media, in an intimidating fashion, towards their rivals and even maybe, perhaps, the general public. The video, to say the very least, is one that can be looked at as a way of promoting some gang activity, and so I have forwarded that video to the GI3 investigation team and they are working on it to see if will be able to levy charges against those persons involved.  We have identified all the parties in the video and I am hoping that very soon we should be able to levy charges against them for using a video to promote gang activity. The fact remains that they produced the video.  It is not that someone forced their hands or edited a video and put them in a video that they were not a part of. The video is original and was created by them and, again, with illegal weapons. So if they want to raise that defense, it certainly will be a matter for the court to determine if in fact they are going to allow that defense to exonerate them from the charges.”