A 42-year-old man has been charged with drug offences after the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force found roughly 50 kilograms of suspected cocaine in a vehicle during an operation on Tortola.
On Thursday, October 15, officers stopped and searched a pickup truck bearing dark-tinted windows in Long Bush. Eduard Ramirez of Jose Hill, the driver, was arrested at the scene. He faces two charges: possession of a controlled drug and possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. Police held him in custody ahead of his Magistrate's Court hearing, which was announced in a statement released Friday, October 16.
The force called the recovery a major setback for drug trafficking in the Territory and praised the officers who carried out the search.
Acting Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool attributed a significant portion of the Territory's homicides to the illicit drug trade. She urged residents to cooperate with police to prevent the BVI from becoming a hub for drug transit. "Much of the homicides we have seen in the BVI is linked to the illicit drug trade. I am appealing to the community to work with us to reduce the extent to which our Territory is used as a transshipment point for drug trafficking, because doing so together translates directly into a safer, more peaceful community for us all," she stated.
Members of the public who have details about criminal activity can reach the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9593.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.