NASSAU, The Bahamas – Regional law enforcement agencies were urged to be more creative in the fight against the illicit drug trade, which has destroyed the lives of many citizens.
Minister of National Security the Hon. Tommy Turnquest made the call as he delivered the Keynote Address at the Seventeenth Annual Regional Drug Commanders Conference under the theme: “Protecting Our Shores” at the Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino on Monday, February 7, 2011.
The conference, sponsored by the United States Embassy and the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, focused on devising strategies to combat narcotics trafficking, violence and money laundering in the region.
“I dare say that there can be no other country that better understands the need for and appreciates the importance of regional and international collaboration in the fight against the illegal drug trade than the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Mr. Turnquest said.
As The Bahamas is a country with over 700 islands and 2,000 cays with a landmass of 5,328 square miles spanning some 100,000 square miles of water, he said that this makes the management of its borders and the protection of shores most challenging.
“Law enforcement agencies must be ahead of the curve in creatively finding measures to destroy the repulsive activities of drug dealers and this can only be done by us working together collectively as partners. We cannot accord any relaxation in our joint efforts; to do so will be to the peril of us all,” Mr. Turnquest said.
He said The Bahamas enjoys a close and productive partnership with the Untied States and regional governments in key areas of regional security. Namely, the success of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) established in 1982 is a clear example of this collaboration.
“Under OPBAT, significant successes were achieved during 2010 in interdicting illegal drug flows and in disrupting drug trafficking organisations,” he said.
From January 2010 to November 2010, joint forces seized 404 pounds of cocaine; 1.640.5 pounds of marijuana; 35,000 marijuana plants; and 52 pounds of hashish.
“We in the region must find ways to see how this kind of security operation can be replicated,” Mr. Turnquest said.
The Bahamas also values the partnership with its regional partners and the co-hosting of this Regional Drug Commanders Conference and Pre-International Drug Enforcement Conference with the US Department of State, Narcotics Affairs section, is a testament to that, he said.
“Our participation at this meeting forms part of my Government’s policy at enhancing linkages at the regional and international levels, as part of our effort at improving public safety in The Bahamas.
“We value the productive working relationships with our counterparts as we recognise that our networking must be stronger and more productive than that of the common enemy we are committed to defeating, namely the drug traffickers and their networks,” Mr. Turnquest said.
Deputy Chief of Missions at the US Embassy Mr. Tim Zuniga-Brown said the cooperation of the stakeholders is vital to the United States efforts to prevent drug trafficking and other illegal activities that threaten the safety and security of homes.
“President Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative expands the United States’ commitment to our joint security by providing an initial infusion of $45 million to enhance your efforts to secure maritime borders; to improve the capacity of local law enforcement and prosecutors to deter and dismantle criminal organisations; and to prevent crime by expanding education and job training opportunities for at-risk youth and other vulnerable populations,” he said.
Ellison Greenslade, Commissioner of Police of the Royal Bahamas Police Force thanked all partners for their efforts in protecting borders, in the fight against the illicit drug trade.
By LINDSAY THOMPSON
Bahamas Information Services
