The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama has already recorded two deaths of people found with fentanyl in their system in 2024, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles, who said the drug was found in one person who died on the island last year.

 She said investigations are continuing into the death of Robin Jeantil, also known as “Tubby” from Hope Town, a 23-year-old man who died on January 7 after he reportedly ingested an unknown pill while at a nightclub in Grand Bahama.

 “I cannot say that the young man overdosed on fentanyl, but what I can say is that the presence of fentanyl was in his system,” she said on Wednesday following a town hall meeting to discuss the presence of dangerous drugs in the Grand Bahama community.

 “We are talking to people who were in his presence for a period of time and hoping they can give us information that can lead to the persons who would have given him pills to take which got into his system,” ACP Knowles said.

 “This is the second death where fentanyl was present in Grand Bahama for the year 2024, but we know there was another case last year.”

 ACP Knowles said police do not know exactly how or where people are getting the drug from.

“We are searching all avenues so we can identify those in possession of it,” she said. “We have been searching persons around nightclubs, homes, and hopefully we will get some information from the public that can lead us to find those responsible.”

“The importance of this meeting is to get the message out to the public here in GB and the northern Bahamas and the wider country that we do have some dangerous drugs that are on our streets that are in the hands of people whose hands they should not be in.

“And so it is important for us to educate and garner the information from public so we can find these drugs and take them off our streets.

“We will educate, but also get the community to partner with us so we can find those persons who are in possession of these drugs and take them off the streets.”

Dr David Allen was one of several panel speakers yesterday. He noted the potency of illicit fentanyl. A very small amount — about 2mg — can kill a person in three minutes, he said.