Turks and Caicos advised to get used to seeing Bahamian ships in port

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, November 16, 2022 – Thanks to OPBAT and the year old Ship-Rider agreement TCI residents should get used to seeing Bahamian ships in its harbors. Governor Nigel Dakin shared the information in response to MM questions about the recent visit of HMBS Bahamas to South Dock.

“We will be seeing many more of these deployments, and these add to the collective strength that the US Coast Guard, Bahamas Defense Force and RTCIPF can deploy in the waters between Hispaniola and TCI,” he said.

HMBS BAHAMAS was in the islands to pick up two security officers from the regiment and police for training and will spend some time in TCI waters as part of a new patrol pattern that includes the Bahamas patrolling the Winward Passage between TCI and Haiti, Dakin told us.

Thanks to the Ship-Rider agreement, announced in December 2021, it is now legal and legit for TCI law enforcement to board Bahamian ships.  These ships, now staffed with Turks and Caicos law enforcement, can intercept and take into custody individuals carrying out illegal activities in TCI waters.

The Governor explained some facets of the partnership maintaining that they were only adding another layer to the international partnerships already active.

“The Ship-Riders were all trained with and by the Bahamas Defence Force in recent months and to support this shared aim, the Bahamas have moved a vessel down to Great Inagua.  These sea-based enhanced deployment compliments the deployments of US Aircraft operating out of TCI also protecting our borders through maritime surveillance operations,” said Dakin, who also heads National Security for the UK overseas territory.

Governor Dakin hailed the alliance, a great example of partnership.