TCI News
Belief that ‘Thug drugs’ fueling crime crisis in Turks and Caicos
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – October 13, 2019 — In Turks and Caicos there is undoubtedly a violent crime crisis. While the idea of a drug-fuelled resistance to law and order was rejected as the reason for the surge in gun related and retaliatory crime which has given the country its highest murder count, ever… everyone agrees the behavior of the offenders is unexpected, unnecessary and frighteningly unpredictable.
Street savvy observers tell Magnetic Media that bad minded men in the Turks and Caicos Islands are being further radicalized by two illegal drugs: Molly and Flakka.
“That type of drug with gun in your hand; with these fellas anything is possible that is why there is no regard for the pastor, there is no regard for nobody right now because they are not really themselves. It’s a mind transformer in the negative direction.”
Molly or Ecstasy was outlawed in the 1980’s and is a psychoactive drug which in its pure form is supposed to make one more empathetic.
The drug pills our young men and women are popping today are not pure; they are dangerous synthetic imposters responsible for corrupting emotional stability. Pill sales are booming everywhere as a part of a multi-billion-dollar global industry.
“If you would notice from some of the court lists there’s a lot of people who have been getting arrested for drugs coming through couriers. You see a lot of charges for illegal importation, wrongful importation, no declaration and those customs charges… that’s what they are, pills! American contaminated drugs taking them into a different level.”
When it comes to Flakka, it too is synthetic or man-made. In a CNN news item from 2015, it was said, flakka gives users “what feels like the strength and fury of the Incredible Hulk.”
Magnetic Media asked the question of our source: “Is the surge in violent crime and vicious attacks organized?”
The answer given was “no” and the reason for the negative response could likely be more disconcerting.
“What I am gathering is that for the past two or three years, there has been a continuous influx of pills, Molly, Flakka and that kind of stuff coming in from America.”
Drug dealers are also coming from Haiti said our source; it is big business and easy money.
Meanwhile, Molly and Flakka pills are giving users a dark sense of invincibility and an overcharged proclivity toward violence.
Definitive research on the link between Molly, Flakka and violence is hard to come by but there was an interesting article published by the Huffington Post in 2011.
The article, which centered on the question of pill drugs being linked to an uptick in violent crime in Oakland, California featured a poem written by an inmate. A few of the stanzas gave a grim view as the writer warned not to take the pills:
A pill is mixed with every drug except for weed
The reason it keeps you up all night is cause of the speed
Whatever mood you in, the pill gives you more of that feeling
So if you mad and violent then you might go start killin’
By De Angelo published on HuffPost.com, 2011
The news article highlights the writings of those who have experienced, in some way the emotionally stimulating cocktail of drugs which give users greater courage for all of the wrong things.
“…and they write often taking the pills to ‘get up the heart’ for committing robberies, car-jackings, and worse – revenge killings.”
Sheerly Avni, the contributing writer of HuffPost.com said: “they already think no one cares about what they do. Now they have found a drug that keeps them from caring as well.”
Our source unwittingly corroborates these established news organisations and other professional commentaries: “Weed is a calmer, cocaine was here for a while but crackheads on coke you would see them on the streets and stuff but this new drug, new in our territory cause it recently started to creep up on us, is kicking in and giving these fellas a different rush, a different high, a different speed and what happens is they think they are on top of the world and that type of drug with gun in your hand, anything is possible.”
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government must now catch up and work to educate in order to eradicate this hidden demon which is possessing and persuading younger men to make aggressive or homicidal decisions.
“So, we have a two-fold problem that I don’t think the government is really educated on how to deal with it. It’s a drug, those pills they are the issue and they are clouding and damaging our young men and sending them into this rush to steal, rush to hold up…”
In the past 72-hours there have been reports of at least 10 incidents to Magnetic Media including armed robberies, aggravated assault, home invasion, a drug-induced frenzy and a fatal shooting.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – Following the announcement that several women had been robbed and assaulted in Blue Hills in the past weeks, Magnetic Media queried why the Police would wait until they had a man in custody to release an alert.
TCI’s newest addition to the top brass Detective Superintendent Dean Holden, Head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection, told us that it initially appeared to be an isolated offence and not part of a series of incidents.
“The full circumstances needed to be investigated to ascertain the facts before a public alert could be considered. 
Misinformation in such a case would only cause unnecessary public concern and confusion and could adversely impact the investigation and the safeguarding of persons involved—” he said. “Even now there is no definitive information that these offences are linked, and investigators remain open-minded.”
Holden claimed an early alert with limited information could have hindered the investigation and they were trying to protect the women who may not have wanted to be identified based on where they lived.
As it turns out, the public concern was very much warranted, because there have been more violent sexual attacks, and more victims got hurt, forcing their hands.
“When further similar offences were committed, the overriding principle of sustained public protection was considered, hence the alert/release issued,” he said.
That alert was coupled with the news that a man had been arrested. Whether those further similar incidents could have been prevented if the public was informed earlier and taken extra precautions, is the underlying question. To date, we don’t know how many victims there are.
Police have increased patrols in the Blue Hills area and condemned the crimes as unacceptable. They have not indicated if anyone was charged for the offences yet.
#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – After a festive three days of competition, the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 have concluded with the A. Louise Garland Thomas High School reigning as Champions. Featuring a great turnout, eleven schools from across the Turks and Caicos Islands met to compete at the National Stadium March 9-11, 2023.
The competition was stiff among athletes, who were all competing for top spots and by extension a spot-on Team TCI’s CARIFTA 2023 team. From high-spirited invitationals to entertainment by DJ Shakes, spectators enjoyed the best Nationals competition yet.
Overall results:
- 1st Place: A. Louise Garland Thomas High School
- 2nd Place: Clement Howell High School
- 3rd Place: Marjorie Basden High School
Twenty athletes have been selected for Turks and Caicos Islands National CARIFTA Team, some who would have competed in the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 and some living abroad.
Here are the athletes:
- Roniesha Johnson U-17 Girls CHHS
- Branary Delancy U-17 Girls LGTHS
- Krysann Williams U-20 Girls LGTHS
- Anesha Varus U-20 Girls CHHS
- Lynn Antoine U-20 Girls Unattached
- Chyna Simmons U-20 Girls BWIC
- Rayvon Black U-17 Boys Denbigh/Jam
- Renaldo Registre U-17 Boys RGHS
- Jarmal Missick U-17 Boys HJRHS
- Melique Evans U-17 Boys CHHS
- Love Joseph U-17 Boys LGTHS
- Kaeson Garland U-17 Boys MBHS
- Shamar Garland U-17 Boys HJRHS
- Alieandio Durham U-20 Boys CHHS
- Bernard Hyde U-20 Boys CHHS
- Markey Zepherin U-20 Boys CHHS
- Rayvon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
- Anthon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
- Alidavidson Higgs U-20 Boys JC/Jam
- Darvioun Rigby U-20 Boys Keiser/USA
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos recently hosted the head of the British Army who has now been made a member of the local regiment. 
Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff (CGS) spent a mid-March weekend in the country and it’s a visit Governor Nigel Dakin hopes will be rewarding for the TCI Regiment in the future. The Governor said as much in the Instagram post announcing the visit.
“He is now an Honorary Colonel of our Regiment. That’s an enormously important step for us because it gives our Regiment a champion working at the very top of UK Defence,” Dakin said.
The visit also included Lord Mark Lancaster, Former Minister for UK Armed Forces who Dakin acknowledged had championed the petition for OTs to even have their own military forces.
The men met cordially with the Regiment and then saw them in action officially. The Premier was also part of the meetings, so too the Maritime Police and Radar, the Tactical Firearms Unit and National Security Secretariat Dakin explained. The top man was impressed with the regiment as he told Dakin how proud he was to be associated with the troupe. 
One stop in the tour was Dockyard, the Providenciales community where so much grief was felt and caused over the past year. Also a suspected have for illegal migrants and contraband.
“Very pleased to see this relationship established before leave. It says much about the distance already traveled and it bodes very well indeed for the Regiment’s future.” He said. Fitting that Dakin’s last guests should be Britain’s security experts considering his investment in Border security in the TCI during his tenure.
Dakin will bid the country farewell by the end of March.
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