The Caribbean corridor facilitates the transit of over $17 billion worth of cocaine to the United States. Author Trevor Munroe writes in Caribbean Security in the Age of Terror that this accounts for half their market.Trinidad is a well-documented transit country for narcotics leaving the South American producers, but the interesting fact is that researcher and criminologist Daurius Figuiera said T&T has been "switched on" as major transshipment point, increasing the amount of drugs filtered.
According to Figuiera, there's a known nexus between progressive crime and drugs. Since guns are not manufactured in T&T, he said that it was obvious it's brought in through the narcotic trade, eventually making its way to the streets. Unofficial statistics show that 71 per cent of murders in T&T for 2014 were due to fatal shootings. According to the 2012 Small Arm Report, our figure is almost double global average of murders committed with firearms, standing at 42 per cent.
International organisations like the UN, the United States' DEA, and the International Organization for Migration all document T&T as a country with porous borders.International Relations Prof Andy Knight said more can be done to secure our borders, while National Security Minister Gary Griffith said our borders are comparatively secure.
Crack–the street form of cocaine–has been the second most-preferred drug on the street after marijuana. And addiction has been a social problem for governments since the 1960s.In this five-part series–"Cracks in our Borders"–which starts tomorrow night on CNC3 and on Tuesday in the Guardian, reporter Urvashi Tiwari-Roopnarine takes an in-depth look at T&T's role in transnational crime.
She explores the connection between drugs and crime, gets accounts from fishermen of what happens at sea, and looks at what makes our country an ideal transshipment point. She also explores the effectiveness of the Coastal Radar System, shares the story of a convicted drug mule, and walks the streets with a crack addict.
