The Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) wished to release a brief summary of its 2014 Annual Report.
In the fight against transnational drug trafficking, money laundering and the financing of terrorism, ONDCP has worked diligently throughout the year 2014 in taking the profit out of crime and now presents the results of the execution of its functions. It is stated, “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” George Bernard Shaw. It is important to note that this year’s report builds on the successes of previous ones.
The Director of the Agency, Lt. Col. Edward Croft wishes to recognize the contribution of the distinguished men and women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to demonstrate a commitment and loyalty usually only found in very elite units.
The ONDCP is built on four pillars: Financial Intelligence; Financial Compliance under the Supervisory Authority; Law Enforcement comprised of Counter Narcotics Operations and Financial Investigations; and the National Anti-Drug Strategy. These pillars are firmly supported by the Administration and Information Technology departments beam at the top, while firmly grounded in the foundation of law from the Legal Department.
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE PILLAR
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) as Antigua and Barbuda’s central point of contact for financial intelligence. Training was provided to 75 institutions and over 500 persons were trained. Over the reporting period, the unit received two hundred and fifty three (253) Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) from reporting entities, a 19% percent increase from the previous year. The FIU received 77 Significant Payment Reports which totalled in excess of US$3.9 million for 2014.
SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY & AML/CFT COMPLIANCE PILLAR
The Supervisory Authority through the Financial Compliance Unit (FCU) is charged with ensuring compliance with Anti- Money Laundering and Counter Financing Terrorism statues. In 2014 the FCU made significant strides to improve the supervision of the financial institutions through the conduct of AML/CFT examinations of several financial institutions. The unit conducted 43 financial compliance examinations. The number of examinations represents an increase of approximately 110% over the previous year and the largest number of AML/CFT examinations conducted within a year to date. During the 2014 reporting period, there were 305 submissions of Terrorist Property Reports (TPRs) which indicates a 17% increase from 2013 where 260 TPRs were submitted. Local commercial, development and international banks recorded full compliance in submitting TPRs.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PILLAR
Under the Law enforcement pillar falls the Financial Investigations Department as well as the Counter Narcotics Team. The Units’ successes have been noted through the amount of monies forfeited, properties and vessel confiscated. and the quantity of illicit drugs that have been seized from drug trafficking rings and suspected money launders.
In 2014 the Financial Investigations Department (FID) through its money laundering and terrorism financing investigations has seen an improvement in its operational capabilities. The department seized cash totalling EC $607,080.16. Additionally, the agency successfully forfeited cash amounts of US $10,042.00, EC $2,361.00 along with a motor vessel and GBP £35,200.0 through the sale of a confiscated property.
During 2014, the Counter Narcotics Operational Team seized 2,492.15lbs of Cannabis, 561.70 kilos of cocaine, 1.2 grams of Crack Cocaine and 28 Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills which has a combined estimated Retail value of approximately EC $ 117.5 million dollars. The operations resulted in the arrest and charging of 26 persons. The counter narcotics effort by the ONDCP for the past 11 years (2003 to 2014), have resulted in the seizure and prevention of over 36,000 lbs of cannabis and over 1.8 tons or (3903.46 lbs.) of cocaine from adversely impacting the citizens and residents of Antigua and Barbuda.
NATIONAL ANTI-DRUG STRATEGY PILLAR
Antigua and Barbuda’s National Anti- Drug Strategy was approved by Cabinet in early 2013. Over the past years the ONDCP has assumed the role of coordinator of this strategy. The Strategy focuses on four thematic sections: Institution Strengthening, Demand Reduction, Supply Reduction and Control Measures.
The nation has continued to make great strides in the area Demand Reduction in its three tier approach to the prevention of drug abuse from an early age. The programmes initiated by the Substance Abuse Prevention Division “Moulding Young Minds”, The Royal Police Force Antigua and Barbuda’s “DARE Programme” and Crossroads Rehabilitation Centre’s “Breaking the Cycle Program”, both private and government funded have continued to positively impact hundreds of students in grades 3-6 and Secondary Schools yearly.
In the Supply Reduction area through joint and separate efforts of all law national enforcement agencies over 600 kilos of Cocaine, 2500 lbs of marijuana have been seized from the streets and coastal waters and 4274 trees uprooted and destroyed.
Also in 2014 a Prison Survey was published on Her Majesty Prison 1735. The results indicated that there was a rather high prevalence of substance use within the prison, while indicating that over half of those convicted and 75% of those remanded reported that they were under the influence of a drug or intoxicated when they committed the offence for which they were imprisoned.
It is anticipated that in the upcoming weeks the ONDCP will release their full 2014 Annual Report.
