Cops hunt smugglers in North Side
RCIPS Marine Unit
(CNS) UPDATED: Police are asking boat owners to secure their vessels as officers continue looking for four men who may have landed illegally in Grand Cayman Sunday night in what appeared to be a drug smuggling attempt. Officers are searching in the Cayman Kai area of North Side for the four people who came ashore after 10pm yesterday evening near Sand Point Road. The suspects were aboard what police described as “a Jamaican type canoe” when they were spotted by the crew on the Joint Marine Unit patrol vessel, Niven D.
When they saw the police vessel, the suspicious boat sped off and the suspects began throwing packages from the canoe. The crew on the Niven gave chase and recovered some of the packages, which contained what is suspected to be ganja, but they did not catch the boat. The canoe was, however, later found beached off Sand Point Road, where, according to the police, the men escaped.
The search continued Monday as the smugglers evaded capture. Police suspect that they might steal a vessel for use to escape the Cayman Islands and urge owners to secure their boats and report any suspicious activity to 911.
Investigators from the Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force are also asking any members of the public who may have seen suspicious people who do not belong in the area to call the Bodden Town Police Station on 947.2220.
Check the North Side welcome committee at Kurts Corner.
I cannot believe that we sit here thinking that Jamaicans would just load a boat of ganja and turn up on Cayman shores just so. Behind every shipmeny of drugs that arrives on these shores by boat Caymanians are involved, and i wouldnt be surprised if atleast 2 of the recent 4 are Caymanians. Some of the drug runners travel to Jamaica legal (by plane) and return illegal ( by drug boat) ensure the drugs are delivered, then return to Jamaica.by boat and then back to Cayman by plane. Most are.brazen and go by boat illegal and come back by boat with their drugs. A friend told me that the boat that was recently stolen and found in Jamaica was stolen by Caymanians who took it to Jamaica to get it modified. Please hold your nationality bashing, I am a Caymanian..just a fair one.
What a liar can u please explain the 100 or so AK 47 holes in the boats hull or why they strip all the electronics and engines off Oh please spare us your wafflingYes the same way they go to the US,Canada ,UK with drugs and that is why the same UK is willing now to pay for a prison to be built in Jamaica to handle deportees.
Your comment and information is somewhat flawed. The JA constabulary are in possession of the vessel after it was stripped in Jamaica. The police both here & in Jamaica are in possession of a cell phone photo showing 2 Jamaican individuals including one with a Rasta dismantling the vessel on a beach. A criminal investigation continues.Again.. the vessel thefts here are not being carried out without a local element of involvement.
These comments are sad, but amusing. We blame and bash every nationality, every govt entity, we complain that UK nationals are at top positions within our country, we complain about the policing strategy, yet we don’t want to leave the UK regime, really. This is a solem entity of the queen. They own the island ppl, we just happen to live here. When will you all see that!
This is ridiculous! How the police boat cant catch a ‘canoe’?
Why was the Prison Drone dispatched.
Why wasn’t a helicopter dispatched?
Out of fuel.
Why is it when ever I read a story about the RICPS I hear Benny Hill music in my head?
I cant think what their nationality might be but…
I wonder if these were Canadians using a Jamaican canoe…
The Jamaicans were bringing “fresh supplies” for the Canadians………
But the point is that this incident could have been entirely prevented if Ezzard’s proposal for boat operator licenses had been adopted.
no my friend,they are Caymanians using Jamaican canoes
What happened to the police helicopter? Was the drug for an officer by how the helicopter was not used.
Very interesting observation, why was the Police Helicopter not deployed? It has night vision capability which works well over land and sea in total darkness…also why was a road block not set up at Frank Sound road?….someone has obviously collected these smugglers and driven them to safety down the only road available…..
Are we missing something here?
Why do the Marine Police not use night vision equipment? I would have thought it would be an essential tool in detecting smugglers at night!
There are a lot of questions that need answering here, as usual.
The helicopter was resting, off duty, having a quiet lay down, like you were. Why were you not out there?
By “hunt” I assume that’ll be a catch and release?
Then it will be like a treasure hunt, looking for another boat to steal to get back home again…..LOL.
Who’s boat will be stolen now?????Mr Baines for the return trip back to Jamaica eh heh!
If any of these people in Governors or Snug Harbor have not done something with their boats, then I would dare to say you deserve for your boat to be taken.
i’m off to do a beach clean-up in that area tonight…….
Boy stop it… Lmao
Why is this happening with the Marine base less than a mile away yes bring back sweet Jamaica when is UK run BS of Jamaicans incharge of our Marine Unit going to stop?????
Maybe I will get my stolen engines back….woohoo!
They bring guns and drugs from Jamaica to Cayman, steal our local boats mainly for their engines and then carry stolen property back to Jamaica……….. including your flat screen TV’s, I-Phones, Hardware Tools and Jewelry etc……
In 2006, an average of six illegal canoes a month were arriving into Cayman waters and today it’s double that amount. And Yes, Absolutely Hard Core Thug Caymanians are involved, and now Cuban-Caymanians are playing their illegal role as well, but operating more from Honduras and Mexico in cocaine and human smuggling.
The Cuban – Caymanians are reportedly receiving $10,000 USD per head from the Miami relatives of those who are smuggled from Cayman waters to Isla Mujeres Mexico; and then immigrants will make their way not far away to the US – Mexico boarder. They willingly hand themselves over to US Border Patrol Agents who have no choice but to give them political asylum based on the existing US – Cuba “Wet Foot Dry Foot Policy” – despite US and Cuban relations being restored.
It’s absolutely hilarious to see the our Cuban – Caymanians owing three – four boats in less than twelve months, parked off in their Benz, BMW’s pumping Reggaeton on the weekends at a certain marina and running their fake grocery stores on Watercourse Road and Birch Tree Hill West Bay – as a cover. A blind man could see from West Bay Grand Cayman to Spot Bay Cayman Brac.
It’s time to do what the US Coast Guard do when they fail or refuse to stop their illegal boats on the high seas “Lite them up” !!
Modern day piracy my friend..
Wow a Police service that is unable to muster a Cordon off coordinated search with all this high tech equipment and sophisticated helicopter, the height of incompetence not surprise looking at who is incharge. Why do this in the first place because any drug seize will only be stolen from the police station
At least the RCIP can confiscate the boat one would think.
Once again we see the impunity by which drug smugglers are operating in our waters. Yes you are absolutely right 300 pm these are very desperate men with no options and would or could harm you quite easily or steal your vessel? But what do you honestly expect from a Police service overran by the same very persons they are looking for? Wow! Yes Cayman remember they are here to “Reflect the diversity of the Community” No 300 pm one thing about them they don’t rat out each other and they always look out for one another unlike us Caymanians.
Let me guess, they were light brown skin, wearing hoodies and had Caymanian accents?? Do I get a prize?
So this happened Sunday, and we the residents that live in the area was not even told?? Not for the sake of knowing, but for our safety, and to possibly be on the lookout???!!!!
Let me make it very simple anon 300 pm these UK & Jamaicans who are here in our Police Service do not have to answer or give account to you or anyone but those who hired them and their own government. Cayman needs to wake up and understand that no matter how much money we spend on the RCIPS!!!! that just how it is.
That’s Baines operation, did you know? Know nod don’t tell. Some more that would hit the road.
They’ll be applying for work permits next. And they’ll get it!!!!
No, they will just find a local baby mama and go straight to PR, or even status.
Wrong… They’ll steal someone’s boat next and head back to Jamrock. If you haven’t bought a tracking device for your boat yet you probably deserve to have it stolen. lol
locals don’t need work permits
Even if they did need a work permit, last time I looked crime was the one area immigration was not giving permits for. That and lazing under the coconut tree, high as a kite…Talking of which, in recent weeks, I have noticed something that never used to happen (except occasional evenings), namely people openly smoking ganja on the beach when I go for my swim mornings on SMB at 7.00 in the morning, or sitting in their cars, seemingly on the way to work, smoking it when I am on my bike other mornings also in SMB area…at 7 in the morning? That’s serious sh*t man. Island must be awash with the stuff.
Probably have already
Jamaican me crazy mon!!!
Umm, unless they’re local, or don’t like to work….