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  • 1 year ago
Experts in Maritime Narcotrafficking are in T&T for the 2024 Meeting, hosted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States. The meeting comes at a time when all of the Coast Guard's large vessels are out of service. Rynessa Cutting has more.

Transcript
00:00Trinidad and Tobago is currently hosting the 2024 meeting of the Group of Experts on Maritime
00:06Narco-Trafficking after being selected by the Executive Secretariat of the Organization
00:12of American States.
00:14That would be based on intelligence surrounding the levels of narco-trafficking in home water?
00:19It's a regional issue, as you would have heard in the opening comments.
00:22It's a transnational issue and this region, Trinidad and Tobago, finds itself at the crossroads
00:29where we are situated.
00:30We are closest to South America.
00:32So the drugs are grown and produced largely in South America, the coca plant and so on.
00:38So it comes up, passes through the Caribbean on its way to the United States, to Europe
00:44and intelligence suggests even to Africa.
00:47The high-level meeting comes days after the Chief of Defence Staff, in response to a question
00:51from TV6 News, told The Nation that all of the Coast Guard's large vessels are currently
00:57out of commission.
00:59As they require servicing.
01:01The contention is that yes, the need to be serviced, but the service schedule should
01:04be done in such a way that we don't have all of the vessels out of service at the sea.
01:09And the point is, if you, when you do that, you will be without service, at least for
01:15some time.
01:16Whenever a vessel is being serviced or docked, then it's not in service.
01:20So one way or the next, given the nature of the assets and the necessity for service and
01:28upgrade and what have you, it's inevitable.
01:31Minister Hinds says the vessels should be returned to full service over the next 14
01:37months.
01:38However, he says, despite some public commentary, our borders are not completely unsecured,
01:44as the Coast Guard does have smaller vessels in its arsenal.
01:48Not only are we servicing those in our asset base, but we are in the process of acquiring
01:53some additional interceptors as we speak in order to beef up the thing.
01:59Last month, THA chief secretary Fahli Augustine announced plans to rent and specially outfit
02:05a fishing boat for the Coast Guard to secure Tobago's waters.
02:10That was small talk.
02:11That was, was the festival they have at the Heritage, that was Heritage, that was good
02:17for Heritage talk.
02:20Nobody can commission new vessels for the Coast Guard.
02:22And I assure you, the Coast Guard didn't commission any.
02:24The minister had already acknowledged that narco-trafficking threats extend well beyond
02:29our borders, as he gave TNT's commitment towards a more integrated response.
02:36Intelligence further indicates that transnational organized groups operating within our region
02:45facilitate the flow of drugs through these maritime routes.
02:50Sometimes, I venture to say too often, undetected, I spoke to the Honorable Attorney General
02:58this morning for an update, and I can say the CARICOM arrest warrant is in a very advanced
03:08state of readiness, and just a wee bit of collaboration again to come over the hill
03:13with this and implement it as a regional technique in dealing with the regional challenge
03:21that we face.
03:22The conference spans three days and will focus on the exchange of best practice on the control
03:28of maritime and riverine drug trafficking.
03:32This week's technical field visit to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard headquarters will provide
03:39participants with the opportunity to observe a simulation of a live drug interdiction operation
03:45and gain first-hand insight into the practical challenges and procedures involved in maritime
03:51security.
03:52Renassa Cutting, TV6 News.
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