30 WhatsApp chats about Frett’s alleged ‘smuggling operation’ | Roughly $1K per trip, court hears
Roughly 30 WhatsApp conversations between BVI national Tambu Frett and other persons are being used as evidence to prove that April 3, 2020, was not the first time Frett smuggled a person into the territory.
To support this line of argument, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions called a UK expert in communication analysis to testify against Frett in a special court hearing held on Wednesday.
The Crown’s witness told the court the WhatsApp conversations took place between February 14 and April 3.
The court was told about conversations between Frett and Jerome Hopkins, who was identified as the owner of the dinghy that Frett used to smuggle Bryan Bolan from the USVI to the BVI on April 3.
The Crown also presented evidence about several conversations between Frett and another man referring to a “Yankee girl” and a “Spanish girl” who would be requiring Frett’s ‘service’.
“I go give she your number and let she call you. But I tell her the f****ing curfew is going to come off tomorrow so if she wanna flex, she could flex tomorrow. But she gotta make sure the money right,” the man said in one of his reported conversations with Frett about the ‘Yankee’ woman.
According to the said evidence, which was presented in a 27-page document, Frett replied: “Ok, collect the money from over here. You have to collect.”
Was there exchange of money?
While cross-examining the witness, defence attorney Leroy Jones asked the aforementioned expert witness whether there was any proof that his client took money for his services on April 3 when he was caught smuggling Bolan from the USVI.
The witness replied that “there is no reference to money”.
Jones then asked if there was any indication, based on the evidence, that his client ever received the money.
The witness responded saying the conversations between Frett and one of his suspected accomplices “clearly dictates money [and] a price”.
“There is an indication of $300 being owed,” the expert witness said.
When asked what was the purpose of $300, the witness said he could not say, at which point the Crown objected to Jones’ question.
$800 to $1,000 for an illegal ride
In the meantime, the witness said that based on police intelligence, the ‘current price’ for an illegal ride between the USVI and BVI is roughly $800 to $1,000.
During his testimony, the expert witness also pointed to the approximate $6,000 that was found on Frett the day he was caught smuggling Bolan from the USVI. He said even though there is no limit on the amount of cash a person is allowed carry while in the territory, and though there was no reference to payment in the conversations between Frett and Bolan, the monies recovered is a ‘substantial’ amount.
Frett — who had pleaded guilty to Smuggling, Illegal Entry and Breach of Curfew — is now scheduled to testify in his own defence when the special hearing resumes on May 20.
The hearing will be used to determine the extent of Frett’s role in what the Crown is calling a much bigger smuggling operation than his April 3 offence.
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How you does be into what you’re into and NOT clear your phone ever so often?!?!? He mussy a woman…only them don’t delete nothing…
The BVIslander always cheating on each other. Women checking the men’s phones. Gotta keep them clear. This dope wasn’t taught by his daddy. Maybe he don’t know who be the daddy. LMFAO.
Where is the acting DPP – she started the case and now disappear. Is she living in STT, and how she comin here?
@QTNA, even if you clear, delete, erase or destroy your phone, there is always some type of record.
Then he was to throw it a$@ overboard let it swim with the fishes…could always buy a new phone…
@ITT Sure, but they can’t access end to end encryption files if your smart. This dude was just a straight up i***t, like 90% of the criminals here. 30+ WhatsApp convos was on his phone, not hidden somewhere. They were simply right there to be read. What an i***t.
He isn’t a smuggler. He’s a tourist guide that takes people on guided tours of the BVI. Sometimes it’s in the middle of the night. Just a secret cruise of Nature’s Little Secret. Why you all being so hard on a man trying to earn a living. He should be given a medal for boosting tourism.
@Tourism, thanks for making my day. You made me laugh so hard with this comment. LMAO!
If you don’t want to call him a smuggler fine but suppose who brought in people who has covid-19 then what? He’s putting his own people at risk for money, it have people who brokes because of lock down/co id 19 and have no way of making an extra dollar so like everybody else he should of wait till the borders are open or what till he get the ok and proper documentation to bring people in.
Deleted or not, police got equipment and power to pull up them convos
He just got to take the LICK and deal with it. No use in trying to have mercy from the Judge. The phone is what did him in.
Has Hopkins been arrested as well? …
These are serious issues and need to be treated as such.
Boy swim shark a come yo goose cook when Tammi done with you … Lord you dead look at a wailing and crying have mercy your honor I beg you.
wailing and crying?? Is this a murder trial? you people are crazy.
I would sue …. something about this is wrong.
How you gon be doing jail work but have the evidence stored in your phone. Secondly what kind of phone he have that can be easily unlocked without his assistance.
Tell me this how them get in he phone. His phone was not part of him going jail. He brought in someone and that was it’s how them get in he phone.