Police aim to harden territory against cartels
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force has signalled its intention to strengthen the territory’s defences against the growing threat of transnational organised crime, with Interim Acting Police Commissioner Richard Ullger outlining the need to “harden” the BVI against cartel infiltration.
Ullger told the Talking Points show that the territory could not afford complacency amid shifting global crime patterns and increased regional instability. He warned that organised criminal networks continue to exploit small island jurisdictions with limited resources.
The police, he indicated, are focused on reinforcing intelligence-gathering, strengthening border collaboration, and tightening internal enforcement mechanisms to ensure the Virgin Islands does not become a soft target.
The territory has, in recent years, faced heightened scrutiny over drug trafficking routes through the Caribbean. Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly pointed to the BVI’s proximity to the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as factors that increase vulnerability to narcotics transhipment.
Ullger said the aim is to ensure that the territory becomes less attractive to organised criminal groups. “We have to harden this territory,” he stated while noting that proactive measures were critical to preventing deeper cartel entrenchment.
“Whether we like it or not, we’re a part of the passage to get high-end drugs, whether we like it or not, from South America into the market, which is into the US. It’s very big business for the cartels and they will look at the vulnerabilities of the different islands on routes and, unfortunately, we are there but we need to harden the landscape,” Ullger said.
The police force, he added, is working to address those vulnerabilities through coordinated enforcement and partnerships.
Ullger stressed that hardening the territory requires more than reactive policing. It involves sustained intelligence work, inter-agency cooperation, and public awareness. He underscored that criminal groups adapt quickly and that law enforcement must remain ahead of evolving tactics.
The Interim Commissioner also highlighted the importance of community support, noting that public vigilance helps prevent organised crime from taking root. Efforts to disrupt illicit supply chains, he indicated, form part of a broader strategy to reduce opportunities for cartel activity.
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Just talk why dont you all start by cleaning up the place alot of these people from a particular country are not working but you see them in droves at night. Some of them driving around with their country flag which is wrong.
The same country that cant feed them but they here doing bad things for the dollar and meanwhile all the agencies are turning a blind eye because they love their women.
Blah, blah blah. If the territoty has not become or is a soft target over the years it will not be so again.
All of the talk and words are smoke screens and deflections to make the stalwarts of colonialism look important and productive.
A national ID card will help identify who is who on our streets
Why ? We all have identity documents. You mean we are going to have to spend more money for another GOV ID again ? reduce grocery prices, power, water, rent.
We want to live.
Please do something about these drugs them selling to the school children. I understand lots of that going on in the Secondery School . This is very serious..
Somebody give this man his cut, so he could enjoy his extended paid vacation and stay out of business men business please.
We have cartels here? Since when?
We need a Black Trump..,axWhite one will do for a short while,
Start with the police force.
After Trump drops his bomb and or impose an embargo on entrance by peoples in/ out of these VI, a method to stem Cartel and demonstrate due diligence by these Vi. The UK will have every right to step aside for thelong overdue event, Then and only then can we sensibly hopefully look forward to better,as these VI will then practice due diligence in thus vexing “no good can come of this behaviour”.
r dye dilgrnce by the DR zvI will become a reality
Trump will fix it and fix us good as we are well deserving of an embargo and a water splash by bombardment.
Uk will condone and clear the way,
Trump will eventually create a well deserved splash with a neat bombardment followed by an embargo.
UK will be supportive.
Too long an issue with no relief but bold refusal Well deserved!