ROAD TOWN, Tortola — The Royal Virgin Islands Police this week arrested a second member of its force in connection with a drug bust last month that authorities have said was the largest in British Virgin Islands history.
Emile Jimenez, 32, was charged with one count of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug to another; three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply; one count of keeping a firearm without a license and one count of unlawful possession of a prohibited weapon.
The arrest of Jimenez is the result of an ongoing police investigation into the $250 million drug haul at Balsum Ghut, Tortola on November 6.
Jimenez is set to appear in the Magistrate’s Court “at the next available court date,” authorities said.
Previously arrested were 40-year-old Liston Davis of Tortola and 41-year-old Darren Davis of Tortola.
Darren Davis is the BVI police officer who was previously charged in the case.
“The quantity of cocaine seized is the largest in the British Virgin Islands history, 2,353 kilos, with an estimated street value of around $250 million,” BVI Governor Augustus James Ulysses “Gus” Jaspert said. “To put that into context, the value of the seizure equates to around 75 percent of our entire national budget in the BVI.”
Jaspert praised investigators, noting police conducted “exceptional and high risk work” in making such a significant seizure. He added that a seizure of that size indicates the risks such scale could have in debilitating and deteriorating the territory, good governance and the safe communities.
He added that drug trafficking isn’t merely the work of a few criminals sneaking through the cracks. A seizure of this scale, when combined with previous seizures is “strong evidence and serious organized criminality” in the BVI.
Jaspert also decried the two officers’ alleged involvement in the criminal operation.