Thirteen (13) individuals captured at sea in the Soufriere area are now in police custody assisting with an ongoing investigation.
According to Police Public Relation Officer (PRO), Inspector John Carbon, on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at about 1:00 a.m., the Commonwealth of Dominica Coast Guard intercepted an open keel vessel named Stand Firm registration number J7162NTN and powered by two 85 horsepower engines.
Inspector Carbon reported that the vessel, with the 13 occupants, was about a quarter mile off the Soufriere area in the south of the island.
“At the time of the interception, the captain jumped overboard and escaped, leaving the other occupants on board. There were 13 people on the vessel, one woman, one child, and 11 male adults. One of the 11 males was a Dominican national, while all the other occupants were Haitian nationals,” Carbon reported.
The Police PRO said a search of the vessel revealed that a quantity of alleged cannabis was found on board.
The vessel and drug were seized and all of the vessel’s occupants were taken into custody while the investigations continue.
A serious investigation would include finding the manufacturer of the boat and when was it sold and to whom. Same with the outboard motors. Choski was a Batman who flew from Antigua to Dominica. Then you have a ghost piloting a boat with 13 illegals and then disappeared in the sea in the dark of night a few inches from coastguard. That’s what I call a blockbuster movie. I need to see that one. Staring, “the chief of police.” Co Staring “ De “Skerro.” Seen at the Red Clinic Cinema House opening time “Midnight.”
More Red votes coming in daily. Some are intercepted and others are not. They are coming in at every direction and coastguard cannot be at every location at the same time. Yes, they are coming in daily because mostly every single village and hamlet in Dominica has more foreigners than Dominican citizens. Something needs to be done, not only on the high seas but in the villages in Dominica. If we are serious about illegals we should not only look for them in the water. Too many escapees in the water. Pick them on dry land and clean up our country. This government is not going to do it; we must. Call the authorities on those illegal people in your community. We have to work as well to improve the quality of life here at home. The government is doing the opposite.
That kind of boat with two powerful Yamaha engines is no ordinary fishing boat, trust me. More suitable for high speed inshore work. And that the owner was not driving it is no surprise. It takes money to own a boat like that and any owner could use a hired monkey to operate it and not dirty his own hands in that koko makakke. Would be like a mafia paying a hired gun. Convinced the coast guard was tipped off, maybe by a rival gang that does not want competition on its patch. Everything is possible in our country.
You made a valid point. Somebody with deep pockets could be involved in human trafficking into our tiny island to turn it into a slum. Well well well. So who’s going to follow up on this story? I guess no one is. Dominica is gone to the dogs. Our journalists are not doing very good for our country. I’ve seen one question de PM as though he was a three year old child. This was very shameful and embarrassing. Oh me lad Oh. Unbelievable what’s happening in Dominica. Change doesn’t seems to be coming to Dominica any time soon. And this is very scary my friends. Long live Dominica. Dominica is a blessed place and the devil is working hard to make it a curse. Let’s get together and fight people! Dominica is worth fighting for! Let’s fight to preserve this blessed place for our children and grandchildren. Where else should our children go to find peace and comfort? There’s no place as sweet as Dominica. Skerrit will not destroy her. He is trying but won’t succeed. We shall rise again. Amen..
I agree the owner probably not driving. However, if he hired someone to do the driving, knowing what was taking place, he is part and parcel of the crime. His boat can be seized and auctioned off, and he could be charged as a partner in crime. The only way out I see for him is to report the boat stolen.
“At the time of the interception, the captain jumped overboard and escaped, leaving the other occupants on board. There were 13 people on the vessel, one woman, one child, and 11 male adults. One of the 11 males was a Dominican national, while all the other occupants were Haitian nationals,” Carbon reported.
The Police PRO said a search of the vessel revealed that a quantity of alleged cannabis was found on board.
The vessel and drug were seized and all of the vessel’s occupants were taken into custody while the investigations continue.
It would appear the vessel was used in the commission of two crimes.
The transport of illegal drugs and the transport of people illegally.
I am hoping the vessel which was seized will be kept by the authorities the same way vehicles, houses, etc can be seized and kept by authorities in some countries if they are known to have been used in a crime. They can then be auctioned and the proceeds used as well.
Carbon who are you talking to? You are telling your readers that a man escaped from you coast guards in deep waters. Was it a car that picked him up or was it the coast guard that fished him into its secured cabin? We all know who runs this business in Dominica. It is a just part of a few profitable illegal enterprise, yes it is, but one day the truth will be told. Captain escaped my foot…….
Peter you are a very funny person, I like your observation and comment. Maybe it was a car driven by James Bond. I remember such a car from one of his movies.
Once again school children can see how inept the coast guard are. What are they hiding from the public? Ok, I don’t expect them to forget about the boat and it’s occupants to go looking for the captain, however they must have gotten information from those on board to help identify the captain and owner of the boat. This wasn’t mentioned in the report, but note how quickly they mentioned that drugs were found. When will the country get value for money in the operation of the police force. From killing of someone in their custody, to unsolved murders to a lack of apprehension of boat owners and operators in human trafficking, to brutality of unarmed citizens and violating the constitutional rights of the opposition and the list goes on, the police force is a mess.
The owner of the boat is said to have reported the boat stolen .
Only in Dominica can the captain of a boat, with the coastguard next to it, dive into the sea and disappeared. It’s as if the captain turned dolphin after he touched the water.
Mr. PRO, are the police presently trying to locate the whereabouts of captain or did he meet his demise when he made good his escape? Is the innocent child being held in custody with the adults?.Hope not. Could you imagine how traumatic this is for the child? Hope he/she is being kept in a proper place where he would get the comfort and counselling to allay his/her fears and anxieties.
Well that captain should represent Dominica at the next Olympics in swimming wii…… To tell me the captain swim a quarter mile faster than the coast guard boat? Ebeh look-it
michael phelps dat dere man!!!!
The Truth be told and what should happen. We the people are in support of the Immigration Officers and others that with immediate effect that these HATIANS MUST be returned to HAITI ASAP. With immediate effect. This cannot, must NOT go on. It must stop. In addition, Our Government must consult with the HAITIANS’ President and l GOVERNMENT also the Police and IMMIGRATION Officers to monitor & STOP this irresponsible dangerous Deceptive behaviour by these Hatians, illegally heading for Dominica on small treacherous boats with a number of people onward to Dominica.
This is putting a strain on we the Dominican People. Our Government seems to be asleep in lost thoughts.! Wake Up ☺️.
The HATIANS’ Government must STAND UP along with their Police and IMMIGRATION Officers to monitor who is heading OUT of HAITI with whom in charge etc and where heading to DOMINICA.Why? This must STOP and CANNOT continue under any circumstances.
Dominica has its Issues to address, this illegal journey Must…
@Viewsexpressed, you only focus your ire on the Haitians who live under dire and uncertain conditions. What about the captain and other Dominican nationals involved? You should be ashamed of yourself.
How do you know they were coming and not leaving for Martinique which is the norm? I have been saying that for a long time,I believe the police aid and abet in the human trafficking.. Haitians are leaving Dominica every week to Martinique and Guadeloupe. These people are selfish and they should be Deported immediately..Stop wasting the court resources and time.The captain and his crew should be given the a long sentence and Big fine..Its time the madness stop..
The report says.
“At the time of the interception, the captain jumped overboard and escaped, leaving the other occupants on board. There were 13 people on the vessel, one woman, one child, and 11 male adults. One of the 11 males was a Dominican national, while all the other occupants were Haitian nationals,” Carbon reported.
The Police PRO said a search of the vessel revealed that a quantity of alleged cannabis was found on board.
The vessel and drug were seized and all of the vessel’s occupants were taken into custody while the investigations continue.
Are these boats not registered with Owner named accordingly? An would the owner not then be required to list someone as captain?
So why can’t the authorities ever find a captain, or an owner who can account for the boat’s supposed activities.
Why the other occupants on the boat which took Choksi here were not taken into custody as well?
Why the inconsistency?
Is Dominica a joke or a country? Or is it the usual dirty politics killing the “darn” place?
This is the sheeeet that gets under my skin. They will harass the boys from Moon-Serwuyea for demonstrating against the cow dung going on at DBS but smugglers closely alligned to the cabal can smuggle Haitians at will, abandon ship and have so much LARLIN that they swim 1/4 mile under water to land and the coast guard could not catch them. What a bunch of horse manure if you ask me!
When are we as a people going to stand up and say enough is enough? The law is only for a selected few in our country and we seat idly by like nothing is wrong. Granted, the Dish Washing Liquid used in Newtown during the election blatantly told folks to come in illegally while the Dictator confirmed illegal entry/ human trafficking as being part of our culture but we know better. Dcans, PLEASE / SOUPLAY wake up and take ownership of our country ASAP.
Can the new kids on the block APP join others and call for massive demonstrations? They complained about others but are yet to do something substantive!
It’s their culture
“At the time of the interception, the captain jumped overboard and escaped.” It is a pattern in Dominica whereby no boat captain or boat owner ever seem to face charges for this dangerous people trafficking going on through Dominica. We are still waiting for the punishment to the boat belonging to a high ranking political representative in the North of the island. What ever happened to that case, the boat and the owner? Dominica Politics Today would like to know! Once you have the right political connections in Dominica you will go free to do more human trafficking again another day! Crime is for all but punishment is for some!
You are absolutely right, the ‘boat captains’ which are in most cases also the boat owners do usually jump and they usually are not chased by the police. The reason is a very simple one, these ‘boat captains/boat owners are usually Skerrit supporters or even members of the cabal and the police of course do know that.
So did they ever capture the captain, or is he in a seal and shark like relationship off the coast of South Africa?
As I have heard, these captains have made so many people jump off the coast of Gauda.