Customs seize boat, booze and drugs

| 02/10/2015 | 16 Comments
Cayman News Service

George Town port, Grand Cayman

(CNS): Seven Honduran nationals have been arrested by customs officers following the discovery of a quantity of drugs, fish and illegal alcohol aboard a 50-foot fishing vessel in local waters. The boat has also been seized, Collector of Customs Charles Clifford has confirmed. On Tuesday 29 September when the vessel came into George Town Port, during the clearance process, customs officers became suspicious and initiated a full search of the boat and crew, which led to the discovery and arrests.

Clifford said the Customs Seaport, K-9 Unit and the Customs Narcotics Enforcement Unit (CNET) officers carried out the intervention and detection. “We will continue to focus on protecting our borders and those found in contravention of the various laws must realize that the rule of law shall prevail,” Clifford warned.

No further details were given as the collector said the investigation has the potential to be protracted. There was one woman among the seven arrested and only one person from the group has been bailed. The rest are currently held in custody.

Anyone with information relating to drugs, or other type of crimes, can contact HM Customs tip-line on 1-800- 534-8477 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS).

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Category: Crime, Customs

Comments (16)

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  1. Cheese Face says:

    These boats are all over the place now, and in residential areas too. Its an effing joke, portable toilets and late night drinking sessions, great for property values. I can just imagine how long one would be aloud to stay if they docked up near an MLA’s house.

    This issue, the dump, the airport, traffic laws, crime……

    And you are concentrating on a dock that will end some of our best dive sites? Good job guys.

  2. Sharkey says:

    Good work Captain Clifford, you sure know how to do your job. I think that Government could save some money by paying you 3×times your salary to be commissioners of police too.

  3. Anonymous says:

    really? so many boats go to Roatan all the time its a quick trip cargo out cargo in family friends drugs guns you name it its moving round trip in a few days time.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Illegal alcohol…. Moonshine????

  5. Anonymous says:

    I hope they also established the Cayman connection and dealt with them also

  6. Anonymous says:

    Excellent work by the joint divisions involved. It is not only protection from illegal craft coming into Caymans waters , but a need also for craft leaving. Recent private boat thefts during this past several months could conceivably be interdicted and arrests made in the thefts, which also will restrict illegal drug and human trafficking in adjacent regions.

  7. troubled waters says:

    So they did something about it one in one thousand times. Every single boat that comes in from “the murder capital of the world” should be turned inside out. The less of them in Cayman the better. Maybe one of the “influenced” authorities was out sick with the flu this time.

  8. Anonymous says:

    What kind or drugs and the approximate quantity would be interesting to know ?

    • noone says:

      It don’t matter what it is or quantity as it is illegal stuff……or you are planning to break in police station to steal the drugs if they are any worth to you??

      • Just Driftwood says:

        I think the point of the post is that there IS a difference between a bust of illegal narcotics traffickers and a bust of some fishermen with a small amount of personal use weed. They’re not saying one should be tolerated (although one wouldn’t be able to guess that based upon the smells at the public beaches on Saturday night) but that it would be good to know what exactly they caught them with.

      • Anonymous says:

        It matters if the price of one of them goes up and you are in the market.

        • Anonymous says:

          I now have 2 of these damn commercial boats for OVER 90 days on MY residential canal!!! Police say “can’t see the crime?” DOE says “sorry” they have a port-a-potty and running water from a hose (this now qualifies as ok for living in a residential yard?) Dept of Planning = “silence zzz”

          Where the !”%*$ is Immigration ENFORCEMENT? These are NOT “visiting international fisherman” These are loopholes in the law for criminal squatters! Just because you came on a bloody boat, does NOT give you the right to live on a boat next to my house. These visitors are working illegally during the day and this has become a way to enter Cayman without permits. Wake up and call your MLAs. –

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