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The Ahmad’s, a Belizean Muslim family, are demanding answers after a terrifying police raid early Monday morning. Reports are that the Special Branch Unit stormed into and ransacked 6 of their different family homes in Hattieville. The officers took a number of belongings including passports, their licensed guns and all their electronic devices. After that, about 19 family members from these homes including a pregnant woman and children were rounded up and detained. Well, they have finally all been released after 48 hours and the family is still trying to grapple with this scary experience. Today well known barber Fareed Ahmad detailed what happened on Monday morning and the damage it has caused the entire family.

Fareed Ahmad - Owner, the Real Barber Shop
"These unprecedented, shocking, frightening and inexcusable actions of the police force which began early Monday morning; that's June 20th 2016 with the invasion and raiding of 6 family homes and all our business establishments of hardworking and law abiding Belizean families has paralyzed us with shock and disbelief. Not to the mention the untold financial damages so far. We were subjected to ransacked searches, seizure of our property and intrusion of the most private intimate areas, our bedroom. This was all done in the presence of toddlers and very young children including of course our wives and our families. Their extreme and inhuman actions included false imprisonment, unlawful invasion of our homes, unlawful detention, kidnapping, invasion of our privacy, deprivation of our simple constitutional rights to communicate with an attorney of our choice or any at all and very importantly our religious liberty. Malicious and wrongful prosecution, violation of our human dignity, unlawful seizures of our personal property included devices like our cell phones, our tablets, our laptops, our computers; even books and books like the Quran. We are still reeling from this traumatic experience and the public embarrassment it has caused us so far and do not know if and when we will ever recover from this."

So what was the reason for this raid on the Ahmad’s? Well, that is exactly what the family is trying to find out.  Ahmad told us that the only explanation they got was that they were being investigated for conspiracy to commit murder. Now the strange thing is, according to them, all their licensed guns were returned to them but not their electronic devices. Now, why would they be given back their weapons if they were wanted for conspiracy to commit murder? …The story just doesn’t add up! So did this operation have to do with a misunderstanding or suspicion of certain Muslim families? Ahmad says that could be the case, but they don’t know for sure.

Fareed Ahmad - Owner, the Real Barber Shop
"They took every single electronic item even my son's tablet. I had to watch the horror of my son crying for his tablet when the police took it away from him. My weapons which are all licensed of course were returned and this confuse me because if you're saying we're being investigated for some crime why would you give back the weapons but take all the devices? I have business right now that is freezing, I probably lost a lot of business; people are trying to communicate with me as we speak and I can't speak and I'm just speaking for myself. What about the numerous family members that I have with all their devices being seized."

"All we want is some answers, explanation, something and we're literally calling the media and begging probably somebody in the public of police department what the hell is going on? Sorry to use that word."

Courtney Weatherburne
"And the only thing they are saying is that you all were taken in because you all are being investigated for some conspiracy to commit murder."

Fareed Ahmad - Owner, the Real Barber Shop
"Conspiracy to commit murder and damage to property; something about damage to property; I don't know anything about that. We were taken to the police station eventually. My business was swarmed by a bunch of police; my customers stood in fright wondering what is going on. We have the most popular barbershop in Belize City, we spent over 13 years building this business and for it to come crashing down with one simple incident with a ridiculous allegation and to be dealt with like a common criminal that is an insult, it's inhumane, it's unbelievable."

"When we went to the police station I learned and I saw one other Muslim brother that I am familiar with and I heard that another Muslim sister's family was also there. So the only thing that I could conclude was that i was something in relation to being a Muslim and the very hurtful part about this aside from all the damages I've been through is the fact that this is the month of Ramadan. This is our most sacred month, Muslims are taught to be restrained, to refrain from everything; we were taught to be very extremely respectful."

"What you talking about linking to whatever ISIS, that's crap okay? That's crap. Trust me if the police department want to know me I have the Real Barber shop, the most popular barbershop I'm the easiest person to find. You want to find me? Come right here I'm here almost every single day."

Courtney Weatherburne
"If it somehow is linked to the Muslim faith do you think this is just in terms of ignorance or a fear or lack of understanding of the religion?"

Fareed Ahmad - Owner, the Real Barber Shop
"Well it's obviously that, you basically concluded it right there. This is crazy okay, this is crazy."

We sent a text message and called Special Branch Commander Marco Vidal but he did not respond to either of them. According to Ahmad, one of his pregnant relatives, who is due any time now, has to get an emergency C-section because of the trauma from the raid. In terms of their belongings, Ahmad said that he heard that all their electronic devices are being held at the US Embassy.  We could not confirm this report.