US embassy cable - 03NASSAU2089

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 002089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO KEVIN BROWN, INL/LP 
PASS TO DOCONNOR, WHA/CAR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2013 
TAGS: BF, SNAR, Narcotics - OPBAT 
SUBJECT: THREE MAJOR SEIZURES FOR OPBAT THIS WEEK 
 
Summary 
 
1. (U) In a particularly successful week's work, the Royal 
Bahamian Police Force and Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos 
(OPBAT) scored three significant successes during October 
10-14, arresting 13 individuals and seizing over $10 million 
dollars worth of cocaine, marijuana and hasish oil in 
addition to boats and vehicles. USG-funded assets and 
personnel were key to this week's results. 
End of Summary 
 
Coordination is still our best asset 
 
2. (C) During an operation on Tuesday October 14, the Drug 
Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Royal Bahamian Police Force's 
special vetted unit, acted on intelligence provided by USG 
sources that a "go-fast" boat was transporting a large 
quantity of contraband.  An OPBAT marine unit deployed 
identified the vessel, followed the suspects, and arrested 
inland 10 individuals suspected of being connected to the 
Austin Knowles drug trafficking organization. 
 
3. (U) The Knowles organization is reputedly the largest drug 
trafficking organization in the Bahamas.  Knowles is 
currently serving a prison sentence in Her Majesty's Prison 
at Fox Hill in Nassau.  The USG is seeking his extradition to 
face federal drug charges in Florida. 
 
Retained Memory Reveals Suspects' Movements, Drugs Location 
 
4.  (C/Sensitive) Crucial to the latest drug seizure was the 
confiscation of two Global Positioning System (GPS) devices 
from the suspects that allowed U.S. and Bahamian authorities 
to backtrack the suspects' movements and supply the missing 
link between the suspects and the contraband.  Once the 
suspects' GPS devices were in OPBAT's possession, they 
contacted U.S. Coast Guard experts who were able to use the 
units' software to identify the subjects' movements over the 
previous ten hours. 
 
5.  (C) Once coordinates of the suspects' movements had been 
downloaded  by USCG experts, it just took few hours for OPBAT 
personnel to be deployed to the coordinates and, following 
fresh tire tracks in the mud, OPBAT was able to uncover more 
than 17 bales of cocaine hidden in a cave in Eleuthera. The 
1105 pounds of cocaine have an estimated street value of $17 
million. 
 
Drug busts are adding up 
 
6. (U) Another successful operative was carried out on Friday 
October 10, when the Royal Bahamian Police Force received 
information that a vessel moored at the harbor in Nassau was 
transporting contraband.  After an extensive search, DEU 
personnel found hidden in the boat of Canadian citizen 1065 
pounds of hashish oil in addition to a small amount of 
marijuana and hashish.  Hashish oil is a narcotic favored in 
in the Canadian drug market.  The market value of the 
contraband is more than $2 million dollars.  The Canadian 
subject is cooperating with the authorities. 
 
7. (U) Also on October 10th,  OPBAT marine assets during a 
routine patrol observed a "go-fast" boat acting in a 
suspicious manner.  After the officers initiated a chase, the 
individuals in the boat started throwing the bales to the 
water.  The Police recovered 3,480 pounds of marijuana- with 
a street value of $3 million. 
 
Comment 
7. (C) This week's successful seizures again highlighted the 
effectiveness of the multi-agency, multi-national, 
multi-functional approach to illegal drug interdiction 
employed by OPBAT.  It also illustrated the key role played 
by intelligence, flexibility, and the quick response that 
having assets immediately available to respond to targets of 
opportunity play in the on-going counter-drug effort. 
WITAJEWSKI