The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

THE International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in collaboration with the Royal Bahamas Police Force held an opening ceremony yesterday at the Melia Nassau Beach Hotel for an anti-smuggling workshop.

The aim of this three-day workshop is to focus on nuclear security and to protect Bahamian borders.

Emrick Seymour, Acting Commissioner of Police, said: “This morning we have assembled 33 participants from the country’s national security agencies of public and private sectors partners whom we are assured are acutely aware of the significance of this essential and timely work shop.

“I submit to you that no country is safe or exempted from the ravages of terrorism in any capacity; no country. Not with standing archipelagic porous borders…we are wide open to any and every possibility. We are still grateful and thankful for the peace and safety we currently enjoy. Many countries around the world cannot boast this or are not as fortunate.

“(As) terrorism becomes more intricate and technical it beholds each country to take strategic, preventative and corrective measures to remain several steps ahead of the terroristic advances. This Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop will allow us in The Bahamas to do just that.”

The acting commissioner said acts of terrorism and elements of criminality know no boundary. He told attendees over the next three days they will be taught how to detect and intercept smuggling of radiological and nuclear materials and to organise the cohesive unit to counter the smuggling of this material across international borders.

“The areas of approach for this workshop is targeted and concise so I encourage you to remain focused, alert, and to absorb all the information that the presenters maybe delivering to you during this three-day exercise. This will enable you to be ready professionally and accurately to counter a nuclear smuggling attempt. God forbid one should occur in the Bahamas.

“(This workshop is) important because you are talking about terrorism and of course nuclear weapons and all of that. All of that is elements of criminality and the thing about is our 700 islands we are so porous our borders are so wide open and so I think it is a timely exercise that is happening in the Bahamas for the next three days where we have assembled all the national security stakeholders both private and public sector and to really sensitise them of the possibility of a threat.

“Once that threat is eminent, once the threat meets our doorstep we will have the mechanism to effectively deal with it and so it is critically important for all of us to be aware of course to take the necessary steps once we are assured a threat is eminent.”

AC Seymour said Interpol chose The Bahamas for this workshop because the group saw the need for such training locally. He concluded by expressing his gratitude to the Canadian Global Affairs Funding for financing the three-day exercise for The Bahamas.