UPM leader demands Saba border security overhaul after three weapons seized on St. Maarten
Dave Levenstone of the UPM calls on Saba's Island Council to act after a passenger was intercepted on St. Maarten carrying three guns from Saba.
UPM calls for urgent security overhaul at Saba's ports of entry
Dave Levenstone, leader of the United People Movement (UPM) of Saba, issued a press release on Sunday demanding immediate action on border security after a Saban resident was intercepted on St. Maarten last week carrying three firearms in her luggage, 721news Sint Maarten reports.
Levenstone said the incident exposes a fundamental failure at Saba's ports of entry. Contraband can be loaded onto a flight or ferry leaving the island, and passengers arriving on Saba can collect bags containing illegal items and walk away unchecked, because no security screening is in place at either port when people depart or arrive.
"What sense does it make to have security officers at both ports of entry without the tools they need to function?" Levenstone said in the release.
He directed his call specifically at the Island Council, urging members to question the Executive Council in a public meeting and to reject the argument that border security falls exclusively under national government jurisdiction. Levenstone said the community has a right to feel safe and that the Island Council must take ownership of the issue.
On scanning equipment, Levenstone noted that the government is operating with a budget surplus, which he said would allow it to purchase two scanning machines — one for the airport and one for the harbor. He alleged that a scanner already exists at the airport but that the Commissioner responsible for the airport has refused to put it into use, on the grounds that the island's particular character does not require such measures.
Levenstone also referenced the murder of his cousin, the late Sheldon Johnson, which occurred just over a year ago. He said that following the killing, representatives of the national government and the Island Governor made promises to improve security at Saba's ports of entry. According to Levenstone, none of those commitments have been acted upon.
He questioned whether Coast Guard and Customs searches at the airport and harbor are carried out only during Carnival and Saba Day, implying that routine checks are absent outside of those events.
"We cannot continue to have guns going through our airport and harbor as if it is KFC coming in and Saba Spice going out," Levenstone said.
In his view, the Island Council should already have requested a public debate on the three confiscated weapons and required the Commissioner responsible for the Airport and Harbor to account for why the scanner has not been installed at the airport and why no scanner has been procured for the harbor.
Levenstone also pointed to what he described as an open harbor after 5:00 p.m., with no security presence preventing unauthorized access. He warned that the situation will only worsen with the construction of a new harbor currently underway.
The UPM stated that safety and security are its foremost priorities and called for zero tolerance toward criminal activity on the island. Levenstone urged both the Island Council and the Executive Council to treat the matter with urgency and to restore a sense of calm to the community of Saba.
Source: 721news Sint Maarten