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

"In 2007, we had a very active year (with) 32,800 kilogrammes of marijuana seized, down from 37,100 kilogrammes in 2006," ACP Wilson told JIS News.

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

Initiatives

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 recognise that this can be attributed to a number of factors, such a 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 0.3 kilogramme was seized last year, down from six kilogrammes in 2006. On the other hand, only 0.6 kilogramme of heroin was seized, representing a marked decrease from the 10.6 kilogrammes seized the previous year.

Mr. Wilson said he was concerned 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 (J$91 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.

Manpower and equipment challenges

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.