Three Dominica Nationals and 14 Haitians thought to be illegal immigrants on board a sailing vessel were detained by the St Maarten Police Force KPSM on Thursday (October 3) afternoon on suspicion of human trafficking.
According to reports from the Daily Herald St Maarten, a white and blue sailboat flying a tattered Dominica flag, docked at the pier in the vicinity of Walter Plantz Square in Philipsburg around 2:45pm Thursday when a person in the area notified authorities because they thought this occurrence to be strange, as boats rarely dock there.
The report said the sailboat originated out of Dominica having departed a few days ago.
The news article stated that after conducting a control, authorities discovered 17 persons on board the vessel.
“The crew could not give a good reason for docking in St Maarten without first clearing customs and immigration”, according to the Daily Herald.
It is unknown whether St Maarten was its intended destination or the vessel was instead compelled to dock there due to other circumstances.
Reports stated also that no drugs were found on the boat.
Both crew and passengers were taken to the Philipsburg police station for questioning. The Daily Herald understands that 14 passengers are not suspected of criminal offences and are being detained for processing by immigration.
The sailboat has also been confiscated, pending further investigations.
Police Human Smuggling Team together with the Immigration Department are busy with the investigations.
Mr I do ‘re your comments all no can say is from be fore Skerrit right back to the 40s,50ss, 60s right up to today, people have been fleeing from DA. Why were they running then please sir I beg o.
Hatred from the likes of you that people running from, I thought they had red clinics why can’t they go there for food. You know to much , and trust me i am neither red or blue just fed up with this narrow minded country. Everything is so or else. Quote I write in DA style because right now all of allyou want a bit of the money . People need to work to build their own foundation. E.g. buy to coconut and make tablet to sell but i guess it is easier not to work for it.
On that note keep your cool hatred kills.
.
If people decide to commit crime what has that got to do with the government. Is the government responsible for Dominicans committing crimes all over the world.But some how is the Police fault.
You Ibo don’t have to honour the flag we don’t need your kind.Quick to tarnish DA at the drop of a hat.is allyou habit to sell Dominica.
Madam Nowell, you pen this shocking comments! “If people decide to commit crime what has that got to do with the government.”
I`m wondering if you did social studies and geography at school?
You need to be aware of the bigger picture going on now for years, and has escalated now for almost 20 years under Skerrit. So, What does this say to you? Why are Haitians and Dominicans running away from their respective countries? Answer: Because: 1. Both are in deep poverty 2. Both have corrupt & failed governments, 3) Recall that these two countries have been independent now for over forty (40) years and both these countries during this period have had failed due to corrupted immature governments. All they do is talk BS, travel the world and return empty handed. Both these government leaders are rich, immature and ignorant to the process of socio-economic development. Before failed Skerrit, under DFP & early DLP our agriculture was booming. Skerrit killed it and sells our passports…
All you Haitians real smart to stay on the boat waiting for authorities.. boss , once all you see land, it’s you all cue to jump in the water and swim. Oh yeah, j forgot…most Haitians can’t swm.
Skerrit boasting that Dominica is so great under his leadership. People from the poorest country in the western hemisphere trying desperately to get out of Dominica means Dominica is worse than their own homeland. Otherwise, they would be happy to stay here.
I wonder if these three Dominicans were working for some corrupt politician?
As long as those in power allegedly continue to turn a blind eyes to the people illegally transporting Haitians from our shores the problem will continue. The police Chief has not seen in fit to place the coast guard boats in strategic positions based on intelligence to combat this dangerous practice. The police know the people involved yet will not / cannot even touch them with a 10 feet pole.
Dca is not big and that happening in BROAD DAYLIGHT. If you call the police there is no response because the culprits are connected. So, life goes on until we get and renewed/ reorganized/ re-energized police force led by a competent command structure and non-political Chief. Carbon would not recognize a smuggling operation right at PHQ at high noon if he sees it happening.
Domnica authority has turned a blind eye. More attention is paid to political opponents of the government by the police than to criminals in our society. To date the police is yet to give a report on the boat that capsized on east coast where numerous loss of life may have occured. They are silent in expectation that people will forget.
The police have no case on this one if their intended destination wasn’t St Martin You can dock for numerous reasons including emergency. And most countries you can stay for 72hrs without going through the process
When they do their investigation they will find out If they don’t have paper work like customs and immigration clearanc from Dominica And clearance to dock in Great bay from St. Maarten They can be charged for illegal entry because they actually docked the boat Then wherever was their destination if they don’t have clearance for Dominica it doesn’t matter once in SXM waters you can be stopped searched arrested prosecuted sentenced jailed or fined the works…..
Grow up man. st. Maarten linked into a very sophisticated marine monitoring system with also the Dutch. They are not stupid I am sure. Skerrit was warned about this new system but still he think it does not apply to him. You think is only Lennox that have stuff on him? I bet you Is the French and Dutch too and on his pals in Possie.
Our local police led by Mills, would have told us these three Dominicans were on a fishing experdition and they experienced engine problems that caused them to drift off to St. Martin
Dominica is mostly in the regional and international news for the wrong reasons. This is no secret for the relevant authorities thatDominica has become a conduit for the illicit trafficking of Haitians. Haitians flock to Dominica not for a better life because unemployment is astronomically high and wages are life threateningly low. There is no good reason to stay in the country longterm. Misguided and unscrupulous ‘fishermen’ seize the opportunity to prey on these desperately poor people by trafficking them to more economically prosperous neighboring islands. Under the present corrupt, inept regime, Dominica’s name will continue to be soiled and defaced like its tattered flag on this human trafficking vessel.
What Dominica doing about that human trafficking problem. Is it a business for some?
They was bursting a backdoor