Operation Northern Strike takes down 51 alleged drug dealers, seizes big money and stashes of drugs, guns and ammo

Freeport, Grand Bahama – March 20, 2018 – Over 50 well known, alleged ‘drug dealers’ were taken into custody today in Freeport hot on the heels of a  seizure days ago of over $1m US dollars and a huge haul of illegal drugs in a raid of a South Bahamia home.

Operation Northern Strike unfolded in dramatic fashion over Grand Bahama in an initiative combining the resources of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Drug Enforcement Unit, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and from the United States, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs Border Protection, the Coast Guard and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.  

Residents were buzzing on social and mobile media about the deafening sound of ‘choppers’ cutting into the usually quiet early morning hours, saying the helicopters were heard from around 4 a.m. Tuesday.

The targeted area is a known hot spot for crime and drug dealing. Garden Villas, more commonly called ‘the Ghetto’ was bombarded with the officers clad in army fatigues, armed and ready to take down any threats to the joint Operation.

Video shows the Police Canine unit working and uncovering illicit drugs including what appeared to be marijuana from all over the sprawling residential community.  As the illegal drugs were found, men were arrested and stuffed into waiting vehicles.

“I must commend the canines; they were the star this morning because they were able to sniff out a number of drugs in areas where your eyes could not see.”

ACP Clayton Fernander, who led a team out of Nassau was a part of a late day debriefing with media and said suspected marijuana was the drug found in ‘the Ghetto.’  He said the entire initiative was banking on the ‘element of surprise’.

Operation Northern Strike did a thorough work as officers fanned out into additional areas of Grand Bahama where the report is the authorities uncovered stashes of cash, drugs, guns and ammunition.

ACP Fernander said, “a large quantity of drugs, also we were able to seize a large quantity of monies that individuals were unable to give an account for, it was in their homes and they cannot give an account for it… I can’t give a figure at this time but it was a large amount of cash, US and Bahamian, hidden in some of those homes.”

The ‘Operation’ is being called a success and it appears this move is just the beginning of things to come in a national and regional crack down on crime.

Lt Commander Eric Strachan of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force agreed with the success and credited the good work and strong message sent by the strike action, to the partnership of the various law enforcement agencies and their members represented in the effort.  

Images on cell phone video revealed the massive enforcement team being flown out of Grand Bahama late today.  Walking double file, the officers clad in black and fatigues marched across the tarmac to a waiting aircraft.

It was later confirmed in a Police media release that 51 people were arrested and four firearms were seized, along with drugs and ammunition.