Police burn millions of dollars worth of drugs

| 21/08/2009

(CNS): Drugs with a potential collective street value of over $3.5 million were destroyed by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service this morning (Friday, 21 August). Around 1000 pounds of ganja, 11.5 pounds of cocaine and 110 drug utensils were burned at the Cayman Islands Landfill site.The substances had been seized from locations across the Cayman Islands in various operations but were no longer required for evidence, police said. Drugs are required to be destroyed when they are no longer needed by the courts.

The drug burning took place under the watch of an independent Justice of the Peace, who checked the drugs as they left the storage location and re-checked them when they reached the burn site. Security is of the utmost importance during the burn, police stated, and a variety of officers from the Marine Unit, Drugs Task Force, Uniformed Support Group and the Exhibits Office were present. All material was destroyed in the burning, including the packaging or casing in which the substances were held.

The RCIPS works hard to tackle drug related crime and welcomes any information relating to the use or supply of illegal substances. Anyone with information can contact the Drugs Task Force directly on 949-7710 or their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.

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  1. Mr. Dread Man says:

     Damn thats a crying shame to let all that good wasted ganja burn like that man!  We all could had made us some nice Senae tea with that man!   Wht’s gonna happen when we all get sick and we have no good bush medicine to depend on?  Ganja is a pain medicine man…Peter Tosh would say "Oh Mama What we gon do now?   Then he would say "Legalize it dont critize it man."  

  2. Quincy Brown says:

    No matter how much illegal drugs and/or Jahsent herbs we burn…getting the RCIPS’ D.A.R.E. message to every young person in every school in the Cayman Islands is crucial!!!   Drugs and herbs will always be here.  Individuals have the option to choose to be drug free! I would encourage the Police to continue on with educational programmes such as D.A.R.E.

    School students must be brought to the realization that Alcohol is by far the worst drug available today.  This has been my findings.

     

    Quincy Brown

    • food says:

      Amen my brother.

      Education is the key. The drug experimentation will never ever stop. It is human nature. Lets just keep spending our money educating and researching instead of using it criminalize our children.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Some of the comments here are unwarranted and down right baseless in saying that i did read the Cayman Observer’s article on the 26th July issue and saw the numbers, as it relates to seizures.

    It is both glaring and troubling to see the serious drop off in seizures after 2003. In fact it is disturbing, no doubt  Ivan played a role in this situation at some point. However on doing a little research and speaking to a few people in law enforcement circles It was brought to my attention some other troubling issues such as management & staff changes strategy and the installing of certain "elements" into the Drugs task force.

    It also appears to have been a concerted effort to dismantle this unit by some of the certain persons and their political friends for some sinister reason.And it has been to the detriment of these islands. If you consider the unit had less resources and support and were far more effective than they have been in the past 5 years. We only hope the new commissioner can straighten this situation out with a real strategic overview.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Thats only the Drugs!! What happens to the Guns? They seemed to be walking out the Police doors and back on the Street. Why not Destroy them also!!!

  5. food says:

    Just remember, every drug we burn makes the price of drugs go up. Studies have shown that people are going to buy drugs no matter how much they cost. So in the end all this is doing is making it more profitable for the dealer. We will never ever be able to stop people from taking drugs.

    All we are doing is throwing away money…

  6. Anonymous says:

    In time of financial crisis and underfunding, will it not be more profitable selling all that crap to Amsterdam?  It will surely be more profitable than scrap metal!

     
  7. Anonymous says:

    The Landfill has a furnace that is used for burning vegetation material such as plants. This is an oil fired open swirl furnace that is top loaded with the material to be burned. Any smoke from the burning is vented to the atmosphere from the open top.

    When used to burn drugs all toxic material from the drugs is vented to the atmosphere, so that anyone downwind can get a real high simply by inhaling the smoke.

    Bet all those weed smokers were in a happy mood while theburning was being carried out.

  8. Anonymous says:

    When drugs are bing distroyed, the Court should appoint/summons a few people to witness this.  Put these people on shifts, something like the Elections.

    Mr. Baines, just to let you know that all cops/police officers are not good and we have a few bad apples in your bunch.

    Signed:

    I know some of them

    • Anonymous1 says:

      to anonymous @ 21:13

      why don’t you call Mr. Baines and give him their names?  It’s all part of helping the police catch the criminals.  If the law breakers are the police the crime will not go down.

      I suggest we give the police a little break and help them do their jobs.  If there are bad apples, report them or shut up.

  9. Anonymous says:

     Sorry that was the exact amount (I was there) but if it wasn’t they need to make up for the lost in pay what the hell we spend more on enforcement.

  10. THE DRUGS WAS CHECKED BEFORE AND AFTER THEY GOT TO ITS DESTINATION.. WHAT THE PUBLIC WONT READ ABOUT IS WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE… THAT WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR SHARE OF THE PIE!

  11. A YOUNG CAYMANIAN!! says:

    you better believe half of that wasn’t there!!!!!!!!  Soon see a surplus on the street!

  12. Jedi Dread says:

    I hope the people downwind have face-masks. I was under the impression that the drugs were destroyed in a furnace, not in the open air!

    Can you say, "Health Hazard".

    – Jedi Dread –

  13. Anonymous says:

    I read the cayman observer 26 of July 2009 article and looked at the statistics of drug seizures and if that does not cause you to get alarm and realise that their is something seriously wrong with this current RCIPS situation and one does not need to wonder why gun crime is up. All we keep hearing is lip service from some bufoon who seems to think the public is a bunch of idiots. Strategic overview get real man! i really hope Commissioner Baines can turn this situation around.

  14. Pro Bono Consulting Services says:

    Talk about a waste of money. The proceeds from the sale of these goods to a foreign investor could have paid the Civil Service pensions for a few months. I’m sure the export market for this stuff is still thriving despite the global recession.

  15. HopHead says:

    I wondered why the local hopheads were all gathered downwind of Mount Trashmore this morning.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Bet most of it didn’t make it onto the bonfire but instead got taken for ‘safekeeping’ by the officers for re-selling to the public over the weekend.