THREE MAJOR SEIZURES FOR OPBAT THIS WEEK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 002089

SIPDIS

PASS TO KEVIN BROWN, INL/LP
PASS TO DOCONNOR, WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2013
TAGS: BF SNAR OPBAT
SUBJECT: THREE MAJOR SEIZURES FOR OPBAT THIS WEEK

Summary


1. (U) In a particularly successful week's work, the Royal
Bahamian Police Force and Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos
(OPBAT) scored three significant successes during October
10-14, arresting 13 individuals and seizing over $10 million
dollars worth of cocaine, marijuana and hasish oil in
addition to boats and vehicles. USG-funded assets and
personnel were key to this week's results.
End of Summary

Coordination is still our best asset


2. (C) During an operation on Tuesday October 14, the Drug
Enforcement Unit (DEU),the Royal Bahamian Police Force's
special vetted unit, acted on intelligence provided by USG
sources that a "go-fast" boat was transporting a large
quantity of contraband. An OPBAT marine unit deployed
identified the vessel, followed the suspects, and arrested
inland 10 individuals suspected of being connected to the
Austin Knowles drug trafficking organization.


3. (U) The Knowles organization is reputedly the largest drug
trafficking organization in the Bahamas. Knowles is
currently serving a prison sentence in Her Majesty's Prison
at Fox Hill in Nassau. The USG is seeking his extradition to
face federal drug charges in Florida.

Retained Memory Reveals Suspects' Movements, Drugs Location


4. (C/Sensitive) Crucial to the latest drug seizure was the
confiscation of two Global Positioning System (GPS) devices
from the suspects that allowed U.S. and Bahamian authorities
to backtrack the suspects' movements and supply the missing
link between the suspects and the contraband. Once the
suspects' GPS devices were in OPBAT's possession, they
contacted U.S. Coast Guard experts who were able to use the
units' software to identify the subjects' movements over the
previous ten hours.


5. (C) Once coordinates of the suspects' movements had been
downloaded by USCG experts, it just took few hours for OPBAT
personnel to be deployed to the coordinates and, following
fresh tire tracks in the mud, OPBAT was able to uncover more
than 17 bales of cocaine hidden in a cave in Eleuthera. The
1105 pounds of cocaine have an estimated street value of $17
million.

Drug busts are adding up


6. (U) Another successful operative was carried out on Friday
October 10, when the Royal Bahamian Police Force received
information that a vessel moored at the harbor in Nassau was
transporting contraband. After an extensive search, DEU
personnel found hidden in the boat of Canadian citizen 1065
pounds of hashish oil in addition to a small amount of
marijuana and hashish. Hashish oil is a narcotic favored in
in the Canadian drug market. The market value of the
contraband is more than $2 million dollars. The Canadian
subject is cooperating with the authorities.


7. (U) Also on October 10th, OPBAT marine assets during a
routine patrol observed a "go-fast" boat acting in a
suspicious manner. After the officers initiated a chase, the
individuals in the boat started throwing the bales to the
water. The Police recovered 3,480 pounds of marijuana- with
a street value of $3 million.

Comment

7. (C) This week's successful seizures again highlighted the
effectiveness of the multi-agency, multi-national,
multi-functional approach to illegal drug interdiction
employed by OPBAT. It also illustrated the key role played
by intelligence, flexibility, and the quick response that
having assets immediately available to respond to targets of
opportunity play in the on-going counter-drug effort.
WITAJEWSKI