More needs to be done to stop drug trafficking at ports, says Chang

WESTERN BUREAU:

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang is asserting that while the security forces have been working to halt the flow of drug smuggling operations through Jamaica’s ports of entry, more needs to be done to disrupt narcotics trafficking operations and protect the ports’ integrity.

Chang said that new initiatives to further discourage drug smugglers from using Jamaica’s airports will be examined, while speaking to The Gleaner, following a consultation meeting in Montego Bay. The forum dealt with the implementation of the Shared Prosperity Through Accelerated Development To Our Road Network [SPARK] Programme for the St James North Western constituency.

“The returns on cocaine smuggling are pretty high, and therefore they keep trying. We have certainly increased our capacity and improved our ability to apprehend them, and we’ve been apprehending quite a few of them … we have to do more to prevent them getting on the plane, and to disrupt the organisers,” said Chang.

“I think we have a pretty good system in place, and we just had a major conference on airport security, and we’re going to look at some new steps to further disincentivise them [smugglers] from going to the airports, because we need to protect our airports,” he explained.

“The travel industry is one of our most important parts of economic activity, and tourism is a big thing for Jamaica; if we put that at risk, we’ll be putting our entire economic activity at risk,” Chang added.

The issue of drug smuggling has been a recurring concern, particularly with the many reported attempts to smuggle cocaine through the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James over the years. St James has been described in recent years as becoming a haven for cocaine trafficking, with the practice being prevalent to the point that traffickers have reportedly used innovative ways to smuggle millions of dollars’ worth of the contraband on flights to the United States and England and even through courier services.

Recent cases of cocaine trafficking to come before the St James Parish Court include the matter of Dutch national Patrick Crawford, who allegedly tried to smuggle 13.5 pounds of cocaine, valued at $28.3 million, through the Sangster International Airport on a flight to Brussels, Germany on May 9 this year. Crawford’s case is set to return before the court on June 24.

Gun shipments

Chang also commented on the matter of gun shipments being seized at seaports, noting that additional work needs to be done in that regard despite the successes reaped by the police to date.

“We’re making good grounds, but it’s a tough call, and remember we’re a big island, and there are numerous people involved. Regarding the guns, we have a ways to go, and we’re getting good cooperation in recent times from the American interests, the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives], along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and other agencies collaboratively, and we’ve certainly strengthened our own intelligence teams,” shared Chang.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com