54 Haitian Migrants and Drugs Seized in RBDF Exumas Interception

Bahamian forces detained 54 Haitian migrants and seized cocaine and marijuana after intercepting a vessel near Norman's Cay. Three Bahamian men were also arrested in a separate drug bust worth $5.9 million.

RBDF Intercepts Vessel Carrying Migrants and Drugs Near Norman's Cay

Caribbean National Weekly reports that Bahamian law enforcement detained 54 Haitian migrants — including six women and a three-year-old girl — and seized suspected cocaine and marijuana after intercepting a vessel in the Exumas on Sunday.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) said it acted on updated intelligence provided by United States partners regarding a vessel suspected of carrying migrants and illegal drugs near Ship Channel Cay and Beacon Cay. HMBS Maderia was dispatched to the area alongside U.S. air assets and personnel from the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.

The vessel was located early Monday near Norman's Cay and Wax Cay. Officers who boarded found the 54 migrants along with two bales of suspected marijuana and 10 bricks of suspected cocaine. All individuals and the suspected drugs were transferred to the RBDF's Coral Harbour Base for processing.

In a separate operation conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, the RBDF seized a Bahamian-registered go-fast vessel and recovered 97 bales of suspected hydroponic marijuana weighing 2,318 pounds, with an estimated street value of US$5.9 million. Three Bahamian men — aged 35, 46, and 55 — who were aboard the 35-foot vessel were arrested.

The combined operation began last Friday and lasted two days, involving coordinated efforts between Bahamian and U.S. authorities.

Source: Google News BS — Crime