KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told an international drug enforcement conference that global law enforcement agencies must be stronger than the network of criminals if they are to be successful in disrupting transnational criminal organizations and their supply chains.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressing International Drug Enforcement ConferenceHolness, addressing the three-day 37th International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) in Montego Bay, south of here, said “the war on drugs must be fought in parallel with the war on guns.
“We no longer say the war against drugs, it’s a war to save lives not just from the abuse of drugs but from the use and abuse of guns. I dare say to this august body that the gun is a drug. Persons who are abusing drugs for a quick high, a quick fix are just the flip side of young men, dispossessed, trying to find power and respect looking down the barrel of a gun.
“They are addicted to it. If you really want to make an impact on the war on drugs, rather save lives, we need to place similar efforts tackling the accessibility, availability, and use of illegal guns.
“There is no drug trade without an armory somewhere, whether in the forests of Colombia; Mexico, in some city; or they are on the streets of Jamaica in some inner city as a gang of Jamaica,” Holness said in his feature address to the conference being held under the theme “Disrupting transnational criminal organizations and their supply chains”.
“This conference, if it does nothing else, must bring the nodes in this network closer together,” he added.
The conference has brought together law enforcement agencies, officials, and experts from various countries to collaborate, share information, and discuss strategies for combatting drug trafficking, drug abuse, and related criminal activities.
IDEC serves as a platform for fostering international cooperation in the fight against drug-related crimes and promoting collaboration among law enforcement agencies worldwide. It plays a crucial role in addressing the complex and evolving challenges posed by the global drug trade.
Jamaica is co-hosting the event with the organizers saying that the key objectives and topics of discussion include information-sharing by law enforcement agencies about data related to drug trafficking organizations, smuggling routes, and emerging drug trends.
Holness told the conference that while synthetic drugs are not the dominant modality in Jamaica, “we are paying close attention; we know that trends in the United States oftentimes become global trends, so we are paying very close attention”.
The authorities here said that since the start of this year, there has been two seizures of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (commonly known as Molly or Ecstasy ) originating from the United States and the Netherlands. There were four similar seizures in 2022.
Holness said the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs like Molly and ecstasy have risen significantly in recent times in Jamaica.
He said drug trafficking is a global challenge that transcends geographical boundaries, saying “Jamaica continues to be the largest Caribbean source country for ganja and a transit point for cocaine trafficking from South America to North America and Europe.
“Transnational criminal organizations continue to use Jamaica as drug trafficking transit location despite our consistent and ongoing efforts to reduce and combat the illicit trafficking of narcotics,” Holness said.
He said the Jamaican authorities have estimated 150 unofficial entry points in Jamaica and its geographic location and accessibility facilitates direct routes for narcotrafficking from South and Central America to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“In addition, the illicit trafficking networks have increased their use of courier services to conduct narcotics shipment to North America and the United Kingdom,” Holness said.
