According to Assistant Commissioner of Police for Crime Reginald Ferguson, Bimini was targeted due to indications that there was a lot of criminal activity – particularly where it concerned drug trafficking and illegal migration – taking place on the tiny island.
Bimini was rocked by a sudden state of frenzy when drug enforcement officers swooped on the island, creating what other residents called a "war zone" in the tight-knit community.
A team of police and defence force officers along with Customs and Immigration officials descended on approximately 20 homes, vehicles and other premises on the island during the undercover project, dubbed "Operation Blue Marlin". It led to the arrest of 20 persons for a number of offenses, including dangerous drugs and firearms possession, police said.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr. Ferguson said that several Haitian nationals were also arrested for having illegal immigration statuses.
Mr. Ferguson also reported that police only took in about $300 worth of marijuana.
He said, however, that this does not negate the importance of the project or what the actual results would eventually be.
Mr. Ferguson said he is satisfied with what law enforcement authorities have accomplished so far.
"We have had such cooperative effort before, but certainly not of this magnitude, so this is certainly setting a new precedent for the way forward for our law enforcement agencies," he said.
According to a local government official on the island, such a shakeup is long overdue in Bimini as the island continues to struggle with the problem of young men using drugs. At the same time, he said, there is a much better way to deal with such situations.
"This was forthcoming," he said. "I just didn't know when and how these guys would strike.
"Bimini really needed shaking up and they certainly stormed through the community. But people were left frightened. Who wants to be in a war zone? In fact, to tell the truth, I thought I was in Kuwait. I haven't seen action like this since watching the Gulf War on television. So while we have to stand back and allow the law to take its course, there is certainly a better way to conduct these types of search warrants."
A mother of five, who said her home was raided during the incident, told the Bahama Journal Monday that law enforcement officers stormed into her home between 3:30am and 4am Sunday, shattering her front door glass in the process.
"My husband and I thought this was a robbery," she said. "We didn't know what to expect that time of morning. My heart was beating so fast. I asked the officers why didn't they knock, but they told me they had, but they could have easily used our intercom system outside."
Once inside, she claimed the men flashed a search warrant for firearms and dangerous drugs bearing her husband's name, after which they proceeded to comb through several rooms.
She said the officers also asked her to surrender both her and her husband's passports, before handcuffing her spouse and carting him off to the police station. Her husband was eventually released between 8:30pm and 9pm Sunday, she said.
"I'm wondering if I'd feel more comfortable living in another country?" she asked. "Should I relocate or try to get residency somewhere else where I can live comfortably and have a good night's sleep, because right now I feel that our lives are in the hands of the law.
"I'm wondering if this is something I should train my children for, letting them know that they can expect this type of action here in Bimini. It's as if we are fighting some type of war and every now and again, we have to be ready to jump out of our sleep. I just don't know."
By Macushla Pinder, The Bahama Journal
