Marines support Sint-Maarten police in tackling organised crime
Dutch marines carry out traffic controls on Sint-Maarten for two weeks. Prime Minister Mercelina requested military assistance from The Hague due to rising criminality.
Military assistance on Sint-Maarten against rising criminality
According to rtl.nl, Dutch marines will be active on Sint-Maarten over the next two weeks to support the local police in the fight against organised crime. They are carrying out traffic controls and patrolling alongside members of the Sint-Maarten Police Corps.
Prime Minister Mercelina requested interim Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Monday in The Hague for temporary military assistance. He pointed to increasing organised crime on the island. Supporting civil authorities is among the main tasks of Defence in the Caribbean region.
This is not the first time marines have been deployed on Sint-Maarten. On 12 February, they already provided assistance during a search at Point Blanche Penitentiary Institution. In May, the military personnel were called upon again, this time after a fire broke out in the same prison.
Marines on the island are also regularly deployed for maintaining order following natural disasters. Earlier deployments took place during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and tropical storm Karen in 2019.
Source: Google News SX — Crime