The Tribune

THE SEARCH for a group of missing Jamaican men has reportedly uncovered an illegal trafficking scheme using Bahamian waters to access the United States.

The route follows the popular corridor between Grand Bahama and Florida coasts and allows Jamaican criminals safe passage from law-enforcement, according to the Sunday Gleaner that said that the scheme is used by high-profile drug and gang leaders.

Ten men left for the US by boat between late February and early March of this year, according to Jamaican media reports. Bahamian police have remained silent on the matter to date.

According to The Gleaner, the men were said to be in the area of the illegal route when they disappeared, and that local police were investigating the possibility that the men were attempting to enter the US illegally. The report read: "This is not the first time that local fishermen have forged criminal relationships with counterparts in other countries in the region. The very lucrative drugs-for-guns trade between Jamaica and Haiti for years ensured a steady supply of weapons to the island's gangs.

It added: "The 106-mile corridor between the coasts of Freeport, in The Bahamas, and Miami in the United States provides cover for criminals, as many legal travellers regularly make this trip between the two countries on legitimate business."

The Gleaner further reported that individuals pay US$5,000, and are smuggled to Miami aboard various crafts operated by persons with contacts in The Bahamas and the US.

According to reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jamaica issued an urgent request for information as concerned family and friends fear the men have died at sea. In their report, the Gleaner added that illegal Jamaican passengers are often robbed at sea.