By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY 99 per cent of the illegal firearms taken off the streets and into police custody have been traced back to Florida, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said yesterday.

On the other hand, the Minister said, there has been a drastic decrease in the transit of illicit drugs through the Bahamas over the last 30 years.

During that period, drug trafficking through the country destined for North America saw levels reaching maximums of 70 per cent. More recent statistics, in collaboration with US intelligence, he said, have found that only two per cent of drugs currently pass through the Bahamas.

His announcement was delivered to scores of dignitaries at the Interpol General Assembly in Rome, Italy.

Dr Nottage said: “During the late 70s and early 80s, drug trafficking from South America was prevalent in the Caribbean and The Bahamas could not escape being a transit country for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America. During this period over 70 per cent of the drugs destined for North America were transshipped through The Bahamas. To date, according to our records and credible United States sources, only 2 per cent of illicit drugs currently transits The Bahamas for North America.

“A significant amount of serious offences such as murder, armed robberies, and serious wounding (shootings) are being perpetrated with illegal firearms. For the year to date a total of 415 illegal firearms have been recovered in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. These weapons range from revolvers to assault rifles. Our statistical data tells us that 99 per cent of these weapons are traced to the United States of America, particularly the state of Florida.”

While firearm numbers are up, Dr Nottage said the fight on drug trafficking has been successful as a result of the hard work and vibrant partnerships between The Bahamas, The US, Canada, Europe, The Caribbean, and the global law enforcement community.

Dr Nottage said Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) has been a major factor in decreasing drug trafficking.

The Bahamas, he said,  has now to deal with a culture contaminated with dishonesty, disrespect, and urban violence as a result of the illegal drug trade.

“Many of our citizens who were accustomed to the benefits which they derived from the drug trade and a false economy must now face the harsh reality that they must legitimately work. Many of them, predominantly our young men, are ill prepared and as a result have turned to other forms of crimes. These crimes include human smuggling, illegal gambling, robberies, a myriad of other property crimes, and fraudulent activities.”

Having only been elected about six months ago, Dr Nottage said he is pleased with the work being done by local authorities that has seen a 14 per cent decrease in murder when compared to last year this same period.

“To date, all categories of crimes are trending downward in The Bahamas. For the year to date murder is down by 14 per cent over the same period for last year and our detection rate is up significantly.

“I am optimistic that we will continue to make good gains as we seek to keep our country safe for visitors and residents alike,” Dr Nottage said.