By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, October 29, 2022 – Highlighting the 180 turn from double murders every other weekend to the relative peace and quiet of the last three weeks, Opposition leader Edwin Astwood says whatever the Bahamian authorities are doing needs to be passed on to the local officers.
He was speaking in the House of Assembly on Thursday October 20 as a suite of new bills were passed to aid crime fighting, six days before yet another double murder.
“Without the equipment, the planes, the troops from the UK, something can be done, I want us to look at that- that is the main point that I want us to take from this,” he said.
In the three weeks since the Bahamian forces arrived along with the UK and US, Operation Anaconda has been instituted with swift force. 
In week one, eight suspects were arrested, one described as a significant arrest, the other seven in a single major operation with 58 officers swarming the infamous, Dock Yard.
Illegal migrant voyages were detected and rebuffed prior to arriving in the TCIs waters.
No shootings or murders were reported since the ‘bloody Sunday’ of October 2; until Wednesday’s shooting incident, it was the first semblance of normal in over five weeks
In weeks two and three “large amounts” of drugs including cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis were seized.
At least two guns were found and violent crimes dissipated, dramatically.
Edwin Astwood acknowledged this commendable stride, noting that even without stricter rules being enacted and without military support, the combined police forces had managed to get regain the trust of a petrified public, which found themselves scurrying home and afraid to venture out past dark.
“We have seen results without these amendments being in place — whatever it is, if we can give (to our people) that same thing that we imported into our law enforcement I think we can go a long way.”
The PDM Leader profusely thanked The Bahamas for their kind offer of two dozen men and women, urging the TCI to learn the strategies while the deployment continues. The Grand Turk South, Member of Parliament also declared that now was the ‘Worst time to be a criminal in the TCI.’
All eyes are on the five nations, which are working together to flush out the gang members responsible for one of the darkest times in Turks and Caicos history.
Photo Credit: Mario Ingham