EDITORIAL - New security threats

The recent discovery of two drug-smuggling submarines in the Caribbean Sea adds a new dimension to the business of trafficking and presents a clear and present danger for law enforcement in our largely unprotected coastal region.

News reports say a United States coastguard cutter operating out of Key West, Florida, recently interdicted what was described as a self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel (SPSS) in Caribbean waters. This follows on the heels of another incident in July, enough to push the issue into the spotlight.

The war on drugs was declared by the United States (US) in 1971, and since then, successive administrations have devoted huge sums of money to fighting this scourge. But if we flip through the pages of history, we will observe that it has virtually been a cat-and-mouse game. As one avenue is plugged, another opens because traffickers will always find covert ways of getting their products to market. So the go-fast boats with their super speeds are now being replaced by high-tech underwater vessels which are not as easy to detect and are able to carry larger loads.

There was a time when such underwater technology was only available to superpower nations, namely the US and the former USSR. Now, powerful, deep-pocketed cartels can afford to buy this technology as they seek to stay a step ahead of law enforcers.

Cleverly engineered in the jungles of South America at costs of up to US$2 million, the typical SPSS is about 100 feet in length, is air-conditioned, is serviced by a crew of up to five and can carry some 10 tonnes of cargo for distances of up to 5,000 miles.

These vessels may also be used to smuggle other illegal substances, or even terrorists, and are seen as a threat to nations throughout Central and South America.

Jamaica at risk

Drug cartels have their poisoned tentacles in Jamaica and many other countries in our region because we happen to sit close to the country that consumes the greatest amount of drugs. An estimated 30 per cent of cocaine smuggled into the US is believed to be smuggled by submarines. In fact, the underwater threat from smugglers has been a major headache also for Europe and Africa as illegal substances are transported transnationally under water.

We, therefore, do not think it is premature to suggest that this new era of high-tech underwater smuggling should be of real concern to CARICOM member states.

While the prime minister's intention to quit has dominated the national conversation over the past week, the new prime minister will be well advised to place this ominous threat on his agenda with a view to helping to create a strong security plan within CARICOM.

We recall a commitment made by US President Barack Obama at the 2009 Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to pursue a security partnership with the Caribbean. The people of the Caribbean are anxious for this security cooperation to tackle criminal and security threats to be fast-tracked and be effective in its pursuit of the stated agenda to bring stability to CARICOM.