Commissioner of Police Mr. Ian M. Queeley is encouraging all citizens to report abnormal/ suspicious activities seen along the Federation’s coastline in light of an illegal entry by boat incident that was investigated by a Police Patrol on Saturday morning (July 29) and resulted in the capture of very dangerous fugitive from St. Maarten.
The incident in Cranstoun Bay, an inlet in the vicinity of Newton Ground, led to the capture of a fugitive from St. Maarten who was wanted in connection to a number of murders and who escaped from prison there in February (2016).
Commissioner Queeley said, “this illegal landing on Saturday, which allowed us to capture one person who has turned out to be a fugitive wanted in St. Maarten, underscores the clear and present danger we face by having open and porous borders.”
“Our Security Forces on patrol, both on land and at sea, are only able to cover so much, and so I encourage our citizens to partner with us, and report what they may see out of the ordinary happening along our coastlines,” said the Commissioner.
“If you have a vantage point from where you live, and you see activity along the coast in the middle of the night, call the Police. If you see activity along a stretch of beach that is not normally used by fishermen, call the Police.” said the Commissioner.
Commissioner Queeley added, “Saturday morning was what we hope for in the world of Citizen Safety; where all the stars align; this was vigilance and situational awareness by our Officers, who saw something abnormal and responded, and luck in that the one we caught was a fugitive.”
Initial investigations indicate the trip began in St. Maarten. The investigation is ongoing.