Ministry of National Security

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Assistant Commissioner of Police, Carlton Wilson, who heads the Narcotics Division, has said that 2007 was an active year in terms of drug seizures.

"In 2007 we had a very active year.32,800 kilograms of marijuana were seized, down from 37,100 kilograms in 2006," he told JIS News.

In addition, 98 kilograms of cocaine were seized last year, which represents a decrease when compared to the 109 kilograms seized in 2006.

The drop in the figures, ACP Wilson said, resulted from a number of initiatives employed by the Narcotics Division.

"In the last couple of years, we have had a reduction in the seizure of cocaine coming through our borders and we recognize that this can be attributed to a number of factors, such as heightened activities along our borders and the assistance given to us by our international counterparts mainly along the southern coastal waters," ACP Wilson said.

Meanwhile, the Narcotics Head disclosed that the amount of hashish and heroin seized were relatively low. "Hashish is not something we see a lot of," he explained. In fact, only .3 kilogram was seized last year, down from 6 kilograms in 2006. On the other hand, only .6 kilogram of heroin was seized, representing a marked decrease from the 10.6 kilograms seized the previous year.

Mr. Wilson expressed concern about synthetic drugs, such as ecstasy, which are popular among young persons. He pointed out that last year, 1,023 tablets were seized, doubling the 500 tablets seized the previous year.

"You will see that it is a growing phenomenon and it is something we are paying a lot of attention to," he said.

The Assistant Commissioner noted that quite a bit of cash was seized last year, with the largest amount being US$1.3 million in a single raid. Forty-nine vehicles, two containers and a boat were also seized last year.

"We are committed to fighting the scourge of drugs and every member of my staff understands that," he told JIS News.

However, he explained that the Division is experiencing manpower and equipment challenges.
"If we had [manpower and equipment] probably we would be doing much better and hopefully as time goes by, all these things will be improved, so we can accomplish the kind of tasks we set out to do in a very effective and efficient manner," ACP Wilson said.

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