Between December 2023 and February 2024, Customs and Border officials tapped 27 people for a number of offences, including firearm possession and drug importation, during checks at the Owen Roberts International Airport.
However, to date only one of those cases has ended with a conviction and a fine of $22,500 – for the offence of possession of unlicensed firearm (ammunition) – according to statistics released to the Cayman Compass on the crackdown, which took place between 15 Dec. 2023 and 15 Feb. 2024.
It was during this period that the CBC said 22 non-Caymanians and five Caymanians were charged with offences which carried fines totalling $30,200 and included possession of several illegal substances and weapons.
Seven of the people caught were fined without a conviction recorded, while nine persons were issued with cautions. In two cases no charges were filed.
Another eight cases are still being investigated, the Compass was told.
In December 2023, two people were arrested for possession and importation of marijuana; two for possession of unlicensed firearm (ammunition); one for possession of an unlicensed firearm (magazine); and one for possession of a prohibited weapon (taser) which was recovered during a search of a local residence which was connected to one of the importation-of-ganja cases, a CBC statement said.
In January 2024, 11 people were arrested for the possession and importation of marijuana; one for the possession of ecstasy; one for the possession of THC vape pens and THC gummies; and two for the possession of an unlicensed firearm (ammunition).
In addition, a person was also charged with committing a reckless and negligent act and endangering the safety of an aircraft after he was discovered smoking onboard an inbound aircraft. In that case, US visitor Brendan Joseph Fallon, 36, was fined $1,000 after pleading guilty.
The CBC said last month it arrested three people for possession of marijuana, two for the importation of marijuana and one for being concerned in the importation of marijuana.
Also in February, CBC officers assisted the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service with an operation that resulted in the recovery of an unlicensed firearm, large sums of cash and illicit drugs for which a Caymanian was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of cocaine.
The matter remains an active investigation.
CBC Director Charles Clifford said of his team’s efforts: “These interceptions remain a testament to the intelligence-led training and skills the CBC officers continue to use daily with all persons entering or exiting the Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman or the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac.”
Operations are also carried out in partnership with Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman.
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