The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage called for “regional intelligence” and “increased information sharing efforts” from various Caribbean countries to better combat “transnationally organised crime” plaguing the Bahamas and the Caribbean region.

Dr Nottage made his statements at the opening of the 2015 Caribbean Nations Security Conference at the British Colonial Hilton Wednesday morning, which was attended to by national security dignitaries from over 20 countries in the region.

According to Dr Nottage, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s statistics for the period of 2000-2015 show that over 36,000 illegal migrants have been apprehended at sea by the RBDF, with about 25,000 of those representing migrants from Haiti.

Additionally, between the years 2000 and 2012, the country has been “plagued” by over 1,100 criminal deportees who come “primarily from the United States of America.

“Information sharing that improves intelligence and information bearing capabilities are absolutely necessary if we’re going to increase our success ratio against transnational crimes,” Dr Nottage said.

“It is critical to know here that transnational crime prevention constructs and broadens our scopes and strategies, incorporating information technology, operations, coastal monitoring tactics, intelligence sharing, and the need for an increased officer presence in our area of responsibility can yield favourable results in our transnational crime harbouring efforts.”

Dr Nottage also said transnational criminal activities such as “narcotics smuggling” and “small arms trafficking” continue to “challenge the Bahamas’ national safety net and security as they challenged many of our sister Caribbean nations.”

“In an environment that is constantly changing, it is imperative that the government’s defence and law enforcement agencies adjust their modus operandi, adopt new strategies and effectively collaborate with local and regional partner nations in order to improve our security efforts,” he said.

“If we are to secure our countries we must improve regional intelligence and information sharing capabilities and increase information sharing efforts. These information and intelligence improvements call for local and regional defence and security agencies to produce complementary agendas to complete the mission rather than completing agendas that challenge our mission.

General John Kelly from the US Southern Command (SouthCom) said US President Barrack Obama has a “renewed interest” in the region and the battle against transnational crimes.

“In the last three months I’ve been in three separate conversations with my president about this part of the world,” General Kelly said.

“My president is now looking at expanding our positive interaction, and equal among partners in this region. President Obama has made this part of the world one of his top four priorities. Obviously an opening to Cuba is a first step. Other things he’s looking at in terms of economic assistance, as well as assistance of broadening of our coast guards’ activity in this part of the world, will be welcomed from southern command’s point of view and everyone’s point of view.”