Drug mules would not travel from Suriname to Jamaica, says minister

CMC - Suriname’s Justice Minister Edward Belfort has questioned a recent report out of Jamaica that pointed to an increase in drug trafficking out of Suriname.

Earlier this week, Jamaica’s Commissioner of Customs, Major Richard Reese said there has been an increase in the number of persons from Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago who “ingest drugs, or have drugs in their luggage.”

“I don’t know if that information is true. Which drug mule would travel from Suriname to Jamaica?” said the Minister, hinting that there is no direct Suriname-Jamaica flight, which makes it quite a hassle to travel to the island. “An unlikely destination for drug couriers,” Belfort said.

He also said authorities at the Johan Adolf Pengel (JAP) Airport have stepped up security.

Belfort further stated that before people board a flight in Suriname, they are inspected thoroughly, their luggage is scanned and handbags are screened.

He said there is also a body scan and when they reach Trinidad, Aruba, Guyana or wherever else, they are checked again.

While admitting that there could be a drug line between Suriname and some islands in the region, it is unlikely that drug traffickers from his country would enter Jamaica directly by air.

However, he said reports of drug smuggling by sea are not unheard of and referred to a case in 2011, in which Jamaican authorities intercepted 250 kilograms of marijuana on board a ship from Suriname.

Belfort admitted that drug mules often use the JAP airport, but these are usually bound for Europe, as there are several direct flights weekly to the Netherlands from Suriname.

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