Tweet
GO-fast boats — normally used by drug- and arms-traffickers to ship their illegal cargo between Latin America, the Caribbean and the USA — are now the preferred mode of transportation for Jamaican deportees seeking to re-enter America, a probe by the Sunday Observer has found.
The north Caribbean archipelago, The Bahamas, serves as the initial depository for those picked up at points off the Jamaican coastline, and from there, the law breakers make their way back into the USA, as US authorities seem more relaxed in handling passenger and cargo vessels coming from The Bahamas, than they would from Jamaica, some of those in the know have said.
"We have been aware for sometime now that Jamaicans, not only deportees, have been using The Bahamas as a transit point to the USA," newly appointed deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations Glenmore Hinds confirmed to the Sunday Observer.
<span style="font-weight: bold">
The practice is believed to be one of the fastest growing activities in recent months and came to public attention in June when the Sunday Observer uncovered two failed attempts by former Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, to leave the island by boat while he was a fugitive.</span>
Under that plan, Coke was to have been taken first to The Bahamas, from where he had hoped to get into the United States undetected.
The route through The Bahamas appears to be the preferred one and the price paid to boat operators vary, depending on how many deportees make the trip and how deep their pockets are.
Information obtained showed that several of the deportees would link up with members of the local drug-trafficking community and get involved in the sale and movement of drugs, thus building up their financial base and placing them in a position to be able to pay for the trip.
"It could cost up to US$3,000 per trip for one individual," said an investigator who opted for anonymity.
"Our information shows that in some cases, a number of the people who leave Jamaica by boat do not even pay for the trip, as they are recruited by the major drug figures operating in the USA, who would do all that they could to get them back into that country to help run their drug operations," the investigator said.
Many of those who try to re-enter the United States by way of The Bahamas can opt for pre-arranged pick-up points, but it is uncertain whether or not investigators are aware of many of them.
Based upon information passed on to this newspaper, the pick-up points include Hellshire Bay and Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine, Manchioneal in east Portland and Parrotte Beach on the outskirts of the St Elizabeth parish capital, Black River.
"A regular thing that fi dem move people from Parrotte beach and go all over the place," one St Elizabeth native who is aware of occurrences in the Black River area told this newspaper.
"Them go a Bahamas, them even go a Haiti wid money and come back wid whole heap a gun.
"Everything a happen because man desperate. Man want money, so any way him can get it, him a go go after it," the informant said.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Information passed to the Sunday Observer showed that there was boat activity in the Hellshire and St Elizabeth areas at least seven times between the start of June and the middle of July.</span>
At one location, three boats with nothing to do with fishing, took off for The Bahamas late at night between June 13 and 29.
According to DCP Hinds, drug activities are at the heart of the operations, as even some owners of boats that are expensive to purchase, are suspected to be deeply involved in drug-trafficking.
"The situation is greatly facilitated by drug-trafficking groups operating between Jamaica, the USA and The Bahamas," said Hinds.
However, he said that "there is close collaboration between all three countries in relation to counter-drugs activities, which has positively impacted the trade. Additionally, there are joint investigations, not only in relation to drug-trafficking, but other criminal activities that are pursued by our counterparts and us".
The United States deports an average 1,300 Jamaicans each year and according to the 2009 Economic and Social Survey, there were 3,076 deportees to Jamaica during that year, a decline from the 2008 figure of 2,918. Of the 2009 figure, deportees from the US numbered 1,472; England sent back 619; Canada, 223; and among the other countries, seven came from the Caribbean state of Antigua & Barbuda.
According to official police figures, between 1996 and 2003, US authorities sent back over 17,000 offenders to Jamaica.
For the period 2004 to 2009, close to 7,000 were flown back from that country alone.
The main offences included drug-related matters, immigration breaches and murder and gun-related crimes.
US officials said that there were over 11 million illegal immigrants living in that country.
US Embassy Chargé d Affairs Isaiah Parnell declined an interview with the Sunday Observer to discuss that and other matters.
Jamaica started to monitor deportees on a limited scale almost a decade ago, although there have been calls for a broader inspection of those convicted elsewhere and sent back here.
Convicts in particular resort to using boats, as the feeling is that they would stand a better chance of getting into the US at sea, rather than by way of aircraft.
DCP Hinds, a 35-year veteran of the police force, said that boats are used frequently, despite the fact that law enforcers have stepped up the fight against offenders.
"Our information is that the main vehicle used by these persons are the boats that convey drugs between both countries," he said. "Apart from close collaboration between the three countries mentioned, information is shared through the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre.
"Maritime activities are conducted regularly against vessels in our harbours as well our waters.
"There have been instances when Jamaicans are held in The Bahamas who are suspected to be using this facility and are returned to us," Hinds said.