Drug smugglers working over holidays
(CNS): Three men are set to appear in court Wednesday after two separate incidents relating to drug smuggling around Grand Cayman. On Saturday, 23 December, officers from the RCIPS marine and air units intercepted a suspect blue and white drug canoe and seized an undisclosed quantity of ganja. Then on Christmas Eve a masked man armed with a machete collected drugs that had washed up near a resort in East End, threatening the staff that tried to stop him. Some of what turned out to be cocaine was left behind and recovered by police.
Police said they were not able to confirm if the cases, which happened around 38 hours apart, are related.
The canoe was tracked and intercepted at around 2:30am Saturday, 23 December, by the Joint Marine and Air Operations Units in local waters. Two men on board were arrested and ganja seized from the vessel.
Air and water checks were carried out later to look for other drug packages that police suspected may have been dumped overboard, but nothing else was found. A 48-year-old man from George Town was later charged with the importation of ganja and human smuggling; and a 26-year-old Jamaican man was charged with drug offences and illegal landing.
Then, at around 4:30pm on Sunday, 24 December, police received a report of drugs washed ashore near a resort in East End. Before police arrived, a man carrying a machete with his face covered came to the beach area of the resort, confronted staff, and made off with some of the drugs in a brown car. As some of the haul was left on the beach when they arrived, officers determined the drugs to be cocaine.
Following inquiries, a 35-year-old man from North Side was arrested later that night in connection with the incident. He has now been charged with robbery, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of an offensive weapon.
All three men were expected to appear before a magistrate today.
Users are largely unaware that incoming drugs are highly likely to have been already laced with potentially deadly, highly addictive, cheaper, internet mail-order synthetic opioids (in addition to the normal toxic production chemicals)….
CNS: The rest of this comment can be read here.
Yet there I was, all this time, thinking it was good for me, like vegetables and fruit.
The private sector demand for drugs is an real concern. As we import persons from jurisdictions where using drugs is not a crime or a petty crime. This will only get worse.
Any chance the private sector employers will follow the civil service lead and conduct random drug testing?
Come on private sector be part of the solution for a change.
Poor grammar and improper punctuation use is a cause for real concern in the Civil Service. Additionally, they too use drugs.
If the private sctor tested for drugs what would happen to the employees who were positive?
When they sa y “a man from North Side” it can’t be taken to mean he is FROM North Side. That’s just his address. I notice of late that no longer is it distinguished between a work permit holder and a Caymanian.
Only when it goes to Court do you sometimes see that a deportation order is issued after time served. The Compass does their best to avoid printing that part.
As it turns out, you are right. He isn’t from here.
Oh okay, so being a ‘real Caymanian’ isn’t enough to qualify for being a parasite on society, you now have to belong to a district.
You couldn’t make this stupid s##t up.
Glad that the police are also working over Christmas. Maybe a better headline.
it just tell you about the demand that seems to be growing here? sad!?
Mostly wealthy people that can afford it and a few poor junkies..
And Tourists. They expect their supplies to be available. Like every year.
Do we not see the trend? Marijuana is the main import through these smugglers. The harder drugs and illegal immigrants are a by product.
LEGALIZE THE HERB LOCALLY. It will remove the main incentive for illegal smuggling and create revenue for government by taxing sales or selling licenses to grow and/or sell the plant.
One shipment gets caught at the cost of thousands of tax payer $, while three slipped through the cracks. This is unsustainable and the law needs to be reformed.
Work permits are growing, we are told. So I guess everything else will grow with it as well.
The war on drugs has been lost for years. Were it not for the users the pushers would starve. Any one can get almost any drug at any time. Why waste the money on trying to stop it. Never going to happen. Too many loser,users. To mush money to be made on both sides.
Why was one cop sent to EE knowing that the issue was drug related?
Because there’s not enough for everybody, of course!
How crazy does this island need to get before it begins to matter?
Until Dart ‘saves’ the Country…
It’s a white-powdery Christmas in Cayman after all
If they get the right stuff none of them will be future problem.
I had to thumbs-down you for that mate. As much as I hate the situation too, I would never wish that on anyone.
10:13am If they are so stupid to indulge, then enjoy the consequences.