00:00Operation Atlas Nexus is being hailed a success after the largest joint operation against organized crime carried out between Europe,
00:10Latin America and the Caribbean yielded over 156 tons of drugs and the arrest of over 500 persons, a significant
00:19percentage netted in the Caribbean.
00:22Renessa Cutting has more from the operational showcase held in Port of Swain.
00:26Caribbean security stakeholders have proven to be valuable partners in the fight against transnational crime.
00:35Authorities report that the recent operation Atlas Nexus in September yielded notable successes here in our region with 126 people
00:45arrested and massive drug seizures of over 1,690,000 kilos of cocaine.
00:52More than 352,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 1,000 kilograms of synthetic drugs.
01:01In three years time, we've gone from talking about grams to tons.
01:09This is going in the wrong direction for us.
01:14Pre-precursor chemicals, I really can't keep up.
01:18I don't think we will be able to keep up with this evolving particular trend.
01:36The seizures in the Caribbean are but part of a wider net of seizures of weapons, drugs and animals and
01:44arrests of individuals across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, co-led by the Belgian federal police.
01:52It was the largest operation ever conducted between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean country, resulting in, as it was
02:00already mentioned, like 508 arrests, 150 tons of drug-sized, 294 firearms recovered, 803 animals rescued, significant cash and asset
02:14seizures, 468 fraudulent documents detected, 18 victims identified and assisted.
02:22Stakeholders say the results demonstrate the need for cooperation across jurisdictions to dismantle polycriminal networks.
02:31They work in a network.
02:33They work in a network.
02:33They connect the producer with a transporter, with a port, with a distributor, with a criminal leader, with a financial
02:40operator.
02:41They work as a network across borders.
02:45And they do not work in silos.
02:49And they exploit every gap that we leave between our institutions.
02:56And this is why the event today is important because what we are trying to do is to close those
03:02gaps.
03:04So what we need to do is to connect our police forces, our prosecutors, our judges, our financial intelligence unit
03:12and our border agencies to work faster and better together.
03:17Trinidad and Tobago is one of over 35 countries and 8,000 police forces, which constitute Atlas Nexus.
03:27Minister of Homeland Security Raj Alexander was listed as the speaker at the event.
03:32However, the ministry's permanent secretary delivered an address on his behalf.
03:37For Trinidad and Tobago, these challenges are particularly relevant.
03:42Our geographical position at the southern end of the Caribbean, our proximity to the South American mainland and our established
03:49maritime and commercial networks makes us an important participant in regional security cooperation.
03:54Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
