Couple arrested for ‘magic mushroom’ facility

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Two foreign nationals were arrested for possession of illegal “magic mushroom” following a police raid Wednesday morning.

Police confirmed to Eyewitness News that the suspects are the owners of an Airbnb property in western New Providence and were reportedly offering Psilocybin Therapy to guests as part of an advertised retreat.

Eyewitness News broke the story earlier this week when Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Micheal Darville confirmed that no license or approval had been granted to conduct the operation. He then ordered that the facility be shut down.

Superintendent Elvis Miller, Deputy Commander of the Drug Enforcement Unit, who conducted the raid, told Eyewitness News that officers had found “countless” jars of dried mushrooms in various colors. He explained that when officers conducted a rapid test for the mushrooms, they tested positive for psilocybin, which he explained is illegal and has not been approved for use in The Bahamas. Miller said all of the jars were seized so that further investigations could be conducted.

“We acted quickly on the information,” Miller said. “We executed a search warrant on that property about dangerous drugs and firearms.” We were able to gain access to the residence….it was not an easy task,” he said.

 “Once on the inside, one of the owners was very aggressive during that exercise, and we had to subdue him.”

Miller added that the man was “acting like he was under the influence of something” and appeared to be “hallucinating.”

The owner of the Airbnb was charged last week with causing harm to a groundskeeper on the property after displaying similar behavior that was filmed by guests who shared the encounter on social media.

According to Supt. Leonardo Johnson, a forensic chemist in the Scientific Support Services section of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, while reports suggested that the couple were also growing the illegal mushroom on the property, they found no evidence to support that claim.

“We searched the interior and exterior of the residence but we were not able to find that.

“This (mushrooms) isn’t something that we commonly see, but we were able to identify the material as psilocybin, which is a hallucinogenic substance,” he said. “It is known to cause delirium, and persons ingesting it, it is reported that they hear sound and colors and see things that are not there. This is something hazardous to the public and not something that we want on our streets.”

Police officials added that the couple could face charges later this week.

This is a developing story.