The Tribune

COMMISSIONER of Police Ellison Greenslade expressed concern yesterday over the growing use of the Lynden Pindling International Airport as a transshipment point for dangerous drugs.

Noting that the majority of drug seizures at LPIA involved passengers arriving on commercial flights from South America, Commissioner Greenslade said his officers have also made “significant drug seizures” involving airline passengers seeking to enter the United States from the Bahamas.

In his review of the overall crimes statistics for 2012, Commissioner Greenslade said of the more than 578.75 pounds of cocaine confiscated for the year, 137.49 pounds were seized at LPIA with a street value of $2.06 million.

Police also confiscated 15.2 pounds of liquid cocaine, 9.5 pounds of heroin, and 15.98 pounds of marijuana at the airport.

In connection with these incidents, 23 persons were arrested.

Overall, police seized a total of 152.5 pounds of cocaine from all airports and docks in the country, and 475.55 pounds of marijuana.

Fifty five persons have been arrested in connection with these matters.

In October of last year, Assistant Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said police are keeping a close eye on passengers coming in from Panama after several were caught attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.

ACP Ferguson’s comments came after a 27-year-old woman was arrested when found in possession of two and a half kilos of what was suspected to be cocaine.

He said police have been noticing a trend with people coming in from Panama and are keeping close watch on those flights.

“The police have been vigilant with people coming in from Panama. We are watching trends and we saw a pattern. So over the last few months you would have seen increased interdiction from persons coming in from Panama on that airline,” ACP Ferguson said.