Dr. Peter Phillips WESTERN BUREAU:
JAMAICA IS not well equipped in intelligence gathering and lacks the requisite expertise and resources to adequately detect the illicit movement of drugs, guns, ammunition, or human cargo, says Minister of Security, Dr. Peter Phillips.
In addition, the Minister who was speaking Tuesday at the 24th annual Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), said that Jamaica was not only facing an onslaught from international narcotics cartels but like other developing nations, had become a prime target for transnational criminals.
"They seek to penetrate our borders for the transshipment of illegal drugs," Dr. Phillips said.
"In its course, this penetration facilitates the influx of massive amounts of illegal weaponry and the associated massive financial resources which fosters the formation of organised criminal groups. These groups terrorise communities in their efforts to provide protection and cover for their vicious trade," he said.
The Minister noted that last week's record ammo find in Kingston, though "heralded in many quarters" as a major breakthrough for the local police, gives very little room for complacency. "This may well be only the tip of the iceberg; symptomatic of the huge problem we face," he said.
"As a matter of fact, there are important lessons to learn from this. We must remember that this deadly contraband potentially 41,000 murders successfully breached our Customs. In addition, we must not lose sight of the fact that Customs and police officers have also been implicated in the discovery," Dr. Phillips said.
Last week police officers, in what is being hailed as the largest ammo find in the nation's history, uncovered 41,000 rounds of ammunition in Kingston. Several people have been implicated in the finds.
The Security Minister said that greed was the motivating factor behind the corruption at the nation's ports, noting that no longer could criminals be stereotyped in their profiles. "Yes, we need innovative policies and the requisite technology and expertise but more importantly we need to engender the requisite level of moral suasion among our Customs officials. Without this our efforts are doomed," Dr. Phillips added.
He cautioned delegates at the conference that this was no time for mere "lip service", promising that while committed to work with the CCLEC, it was his aim to keep Jamaica's borders open, while pulling down the shutters on illegal activities.
Commissioner of Customs, Alison Moore, noted that criminals were not beyond going after government workers to protect their turf, pointing to the killing of three divers who were employed to prevent drugs from being attached to the hull of ships leaving the island's ports.
"Criminals will stop at nothing," she said. "They have no loyalty to country or to anybody. Six weeks ago they fired shots in a Customs office in Kingston, which, luckily missed hitting anybody. We had four divers of which three were killed only because they were bent on carrying out their duties. The fourth one is now in hiding in fear for his life," she said.
Kawanhar Doopan, Controller of Customs in Trinidad and Tobago, pointed out that his country has had recent successes by the implementation of a number of measures. "Not only have we computerised our entry procedures but we have a very efficient system in the examination of containers," he said. "We also have a system in place where cargo is processed prior to arrival and we have taken steps to guarantee more efficiency in law enforcement.
"The result has been the seizure of more illegal goods, $100 million more in taxes last year, faster processing and releasing of goods and a more efficient system overall. Yes, Customs reform is an expensive venture but the benefits are tremendous," he said.
