(Jamaica Observer) The Marine police say they will be closely monitoring the island’s fishing villages and “illegal ports” in the new year as they seek to stem the flow of narcotics to the island.
The announcement was made by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ray Palmer yesterday at a handing-over of a refurbished boat to the Marine Police by Food For The Poor (FFP) at the Marine Police headquarters in downtown Kingston.
He said the plan is a follow-up to the police’s aggressive campaign in 2012, which resulted in the seizure of 26 boats transporting drugs, 16 of which were go-fast vessels.
The senior policeman said that a total of 46 people, including Jamaicans and Haitians, were arrested during the clampdown.
He said the seizures and arrests represented a significant increase over the figures for 2011 when seven vessels were seized and 12 people arrested.
“We know that there are a number of players out there in the illicit trade,” ACP Palmer declared. “As part of efforts to clamp down on these operations, the authorities will be launching an all-out attack on the trade for 2013.”
Yesterday, Superintendent Terrence Sancko, who is in charge of the Marine Police, said the refurbished boat will greatly improve their operations. The 38-foot boat, which was previously used for international narco trafficking and was seized by the Jamaican authorities, was refurbished at a cost of $400,000.
“I want to thank the FFP for this kind gesture. This will allow the police to carry out their job more efficiently. We look forward to working with the organisation (FFP) again,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nakhie Hado, technical fishing manager for the FFP, said the organisation, too, believes that the boat “will significantly improve the operations of the authorities”.
