The Dominican Republic was also identified as a “major transit country for South American drugs, mostly cocaine and heroin.”
The March 2004 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, noted The Bahamas’ “strong commitment” to drug interdiction, “the completion of important counter narcotics initiatives faced numerous delays and financial constraints.”
The thrust of U.S. initiatives in The Bahamas, the Report noted, was to stop the flow of illegal drugs, target Bahamian drug trafficking organisations, and “reduce the domestic demand for drugs within the Bahamian population.”
RBDF singled out
The “lagging” Royal Bahamas Defence Force was also singled out by the authors of the Report for its “minimal” efforts in drug interdiction.
Obviously released prior to the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into drugs missing from the seized MV Lorequin in 1992, the Report noted “a long-promised investigation into the suspicious disappearance over 11 years ago of confiscated drugs in the custody of the RBDF has not yet begun.”
A Commission of Inquiry is attempting to determine how some 50 packets of drugs went missing from the HMBS Inagua in June 1992.
According to the U.S. Report, high-level RBDF officials have declined the U.S. Government’s suggestions for establishing an “administrative mechanism” or an “internal affairs unit” to deal with corrupt members of the RBDF, since by statute, the only way to remove such officers is through a conviction in a civilian court of law.
According to the Report, The Bahamas Government’s plans to have the RBDF take a greater role in interdicting maritime drug smugglers remained unfulfilled in 2003. The RBDF’s participation in drug interdiction events, according to the Report, was “minimal” since their vessels were either out of service or not available to participate in OPBAT’s (Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos) requests for assistance in pursuits.
“The RBDF continues to assign three marines to the Caribbean Support Tender (the U.S. Coast Guard cutter “Gentian),” the Report outlined.
Other regions
In its individual country report, the International Bureau assesses countries based on: Status of Country; Actions against drugs in 2003; Agreements and Treaties; and the Road Ahead.
Included are: The five British Overseas Territories, namely, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Also included are: Cuba, Jamaica, islands in the French Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, the seven Eastern Caribbean States, namely: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to the Report, the “priority attention of the Cuban Government is on political control of the Cuban people,” and “89 per cent of all drugs ‘seized’ were wash-ups, not from enforcement action.”
Haiti’s “geographical position, weak institutions, and subsistence economy” accompanied by “Corruption, weak law enforcement capability, and lack of Government commitment” adversely impacted the situation, the Report noted.
In the case of Jamaica, the Report noted, a late 2002 study “explicitly identified drug trafficking as the primary revenue source and the basis of organized crime.”
The situation was exacerbated due to the fact that Jamaica “is not a significant regional financial tax centre, tax haven or offshore banking centre,” although, “some money laundering does occur, primarily through the purchase of real assets, such as houses and cars,” with “cash couriers” being of “significant concern.”
OPBAT efforts fruitful
During 2003, the Report noted, the Drug Enforcement Unit seized four metric tons of cocaine and 6 metric tons of marijuana. The DEU arrested 1,434 persons on drug related offences and DEU seized drug-related assets valued at $2.9 million in addition to two aircraft and 10 boats.
The Bahamas participates actively in Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) – a multi-agency international drug interdiction cooperative effort established in 1982. OPBAT is the largest and longest-established cooperative effort overseas by any government involved in drug enforcement.
OPBAT brings together on the U.S. side, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Army (DOD), U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP), and the Department of State (DOS) and, on the Bahamian and Turks and Caicos side, counterparts from the Royal Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Police Forces. During 2003, OPBAT seized 6.8 metric tons of cocaine and 13 metric tons of marijuana.
The Report outlined that although The Bahamas is not considered a significant drug producer nor a producer or transit point for drug precursor chemicals, its strategic location on the maritime and aerial routes between Colombia and the United States, makes it an attractive location for drug transshipments of Colombian cocaine and Jamaican marijuana.
The Report stated that The Bahamas continues its role as a major transit country for cocaine and marijuana bound to the U.S. from South America and the Caribbean. It added however, that the Government of The Bahamas cooperates with the United States Government (USG) to stop the flow of illegal drugs through its territory, to target Bahamian drug-trafficking organizations and to reduce the domestic demand for drugs within the Bahamian population.
Funds shortage
In the legislative arena, the Report outlined that the Bahamian cabinet did not approve the National Anti-Drug Plan because it was unable to identify funding for the five-year plan.
“There has been no legislation proposed to implement recommendations of an OAS/CICAD assessment of the Bahamas precursor chemical control system,” the Report stated. The Bahamas is a party to the 1988 United Nations Drug Convention.
The Report stated that the completion of important counter-narcotics initiatives faced numerous delays and financial constraints throughout 2003. It continued that the completion of a National Anti-Drug Plan (NADP), a process that began in 2001 with the assistance of the OAS/CICAD, was again delayed.
“Although the Plan was drafted and reviewed by the Cabinet, it awaits the identification of resources to implement the ambitious five-year plan. Similarly, there was no legislative movement to implement the recommendations of an OAS/CICAD assessment of the Bahamas precursor chemical control legislation,” claimed the U.S. Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The U.S. Government also estimated in its report that up to 12 per cent of the cocaine heading to the United States from South America and the Caribbean travels through the Jamaica-Cuba-Bahamas vector. Most of the cocaine flow originates in Colombia and arrives in The Bahamas via “go-fast” boats from Jamaica. The “go-fast” boats are the vehicles of choice for traffickers as they are a more elusive means of transportation, and the reduced load size keeps the losses due to interdiction or otherwise to a minimum.
Regular ‘go-fast’ transits
The Report highlighted that during 2003, law enforcement officials identified on average, a suspicious “go-fast” type boat on Bahamian waters every 3.5 days. In addition, there were 61 drug smuggling aircraft detected over Bahamian territory. Small amounts of drugs were found on individuals transiting through the international airports in Nassau and Grand Bahama Island and the transatlantic cruise ship ports.
“In 2003 Bahamian law enforcement officials identified shipments of drugs in Haitian sloops, fishing boats and pleasure vessels. Also significant amounts of illegal drugs have been found in transiting cargo containers stationed at the Port Container facility in Freeport. DEA/OPBAT estimates that there are a dozen major Bahamian drug trafficking organizations,” the Report outlined.
In 1985, the USG and the GCOB informally established a shiprider and over flight programme for joint operations. Formalized as the “Cooperative Shiprider and Over flight Drug Programme” in an exchange of diplomatic notes in 1986, the programme was extended by another such exchange in 1996. The agreement permits The Bahamas to deploy law enforcement officers on USG vessels operating in Bahamians waters.
A Bahamian shiprider may grant a USG vessel authority to board and search any suspicious drugï¾–smuggling vessel in Bahamian waters (and Bahamian vessels in the high seas) and to assist the shiprider executing arrests, as well as drug or vessel seizures. The agreement also authorizes U.S. Government law enforcement aircraft to over-fly Bahamian territory.
Overall, the Report concluded that The Bahamas’ location and the expanse of its territorial area guarantees that it will continue to be targeted for drug transshipment and other criminal activity. The Report highlighted that the Bahamian Government is expected to continue its strong commitment to the U.S. joint counter narcotics efforts.
“The U.S. looks forward to the finalization of important legislation implementing the National Drug Plan, and a precursor chemical control system, as well as the signing of a Maritime Agreement that would further assist the counter narcotics efforts of The Bahamas. However, due to the growing drug trade and the nation’s small population and its relatively limited budgetary base, the Government of The Bahamas will continue to depend upon significant U.S. Government assistance to fight international narcotics trafficking and crime,” the Report stated.
Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
