47-Year-Old Man Arrested At Airport
A 47-year-old man was arrested at the airport for suspected drug importation, with the police noting that “this seizure is significant and carries an estimated street value of approximately $700,000.”
A police spokesperson said, “Shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Friday 3rd January 2025, a 47-year-old Bermudian male was detained at L.F Wade International Airport by HM Bermuda Customs.
“During a subsequent search, a quantity of suspected controlled drugs was found concealed inside his luggage. The Bermuda Police Service Drug Unit was notified and the subject was arrested on suspicion of importation of controlled drugs.”
Inspector Nidol Barker of the BPS Drugs Unit stated, “This seizure is significant and carries an estimated street value of approximately 700 thousand dollars”.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our partners at HM Bermuda Customs, these items were prevented from making it onto the streets where they could have posed a serious threat to the safety and well-being of members of our community”.
The spokesperson said, “An investigation into this matter is now underway. The arrested male is expected to appear before the courts in due course.”
How did the suspect and his luggage get through airport security BEFORE coming to Bermuda?
Now taxpayers have to foot the bill for a trial and years of imprisonment – likely well over $1 million!
As I proposed to the Government, pay the police at the departure airports to have their drug-sniffing dogs do a walk-through at the boarding gate and sniff through the luggage BEFORE the bags are put in the cargo hold.
It is much cheaper to stop the importation at the airports than a trial and time at Westgate.
Several years ago, I did a quick cost analysis for the detection, arrest, trial, and housing for years at Westgate, and I suggested the following to the Government:
Pay the local police at airports in the US, Canada, and the UK to bring in drug-sniffing dogs to inspect the checked bags and do a walkthrough of the boarding area at the departure airport. Catch people BEFORE they come to Bermuda. Let arrests occur in those countries and avoid expending costs and resources in Bermuda. The cost savings were HUGE! (Westgate alone in 2020/2021 cost $152,620 per inmate. (See below) Add in the cost per case associated with BPS, Customs, lawyers, and the cost of the trail, etc. $300,000 minimum overhead expense per case). Pick a number for the social cost and damages of illegal drugs to Bermuda – priceless.
One person sentenced to 2 to 5 years on drug charges estimated cost to taxpayers:
$305,240 to $763,100 Westgate prison cost
$605,240 to $1,063,100 including $300k for pre-Westgate cost overhead
Contracting drug-sniffing dog sweeps annually should not cost anywhere near that expense, frees up Bermuda resources to focus on other things, and saves taxpayers money.
Let the other countries deal with drug smugglers at their airports since they have been letting the drugs come through in the first place. The Government can also do it with the cruise lines at the ports of departure. I would go with the airports first, as local police are already there every day with dogs.
APPROVED ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR 2022/23 P B-280 2022/23 Estimate Department of Corrections $22,893,000.
P B-282 The capacity of Westgate is 372 inmates.
The average daily number of inmates forecast:
2020/2021 average daily number actual – 150 or 40.32% of capacity
$22,893,000 / 150 = $152,620 (not using the Average total cost of incarceration per inmate per annum based on a maximum capacity of $74,004)
Crickets