Tonight, US investigators have given their opinion on a supposed explosive device that was found on a "Maya Island Air" plane last week.
Reports tell us they have concluded that what the BDF calls an IED appears to be nothing more than a fancy pyrotechnic. Jules Vasquez reports:
The fanfare that greeted globally famous DJ Oso City as he bounded onto the stage in San Pedro on Independence Eve are known as cold sparkles, a type of pyrotechnic effect. And though they shower what looks like real sparks, there is no flame and no heat - these sparks are cool to the touch and pose no fire risk.
Cold sparkles can come from rockets like these - brought into Belize from Chetumal. Both the shape and size of the rockets resemble the device found in a seat pocket on a Maya aircraft on Tuesday. This one was found with thin gauge electrical wire attached - which is how the rockets are activated.
But, forget that back story, this is what the BDF was given when they were called in. Their experts classified it as an IED - and concluded that the device was real and posed a real threat to passengers if it had been detonated.
We asked the BDF for a comment and they referred us to the police. Today, the Officer Commanding Eastern Divisions said.
ACP Hilberto Romero, OC Eastern Division
"In regards to a device that was found on the Maya Island Air flight the device is being analyzed further and a press brief will be held on Wednesday along with police and BDF with details regarding that find."
But 7News has learned that due to the nature of the report and the possibility of it being a terrorist device, US Federal Authorities were called in - including the FBI. 7News has also learned that they have since communicated to the airline and Civil Aviation that it was either a pyrotechnic flare or a rocket motor - which is also a pyrotechnic device.
We'll have the full story from that briefing on Wednesday.
