Four Haitians are being held at an undisclosed location in Portland, after they arrived by boat in Buff Bay on the morning of Tuesday, August 3. The Port Antonio police reported that at about 5:30 am residents spotted the boat with the men, and they were alerted.
Amid the crises unfolding in the French island, there are speculations that the men might have fled the chaos. However, Head of Operations for the Portland Police Division, Deputy Superintendent Throyville Haughton says police investigation suggests otherwise, he says the men were stranded at sea for more than two weeks.
DSP Haughton says a multi-agency approach is usually taken in situations where foreigners arrive at Jamaica’s shore illegally.
The National Security Ministry had announced that Jamaica would be heightening its border surveillance amid the escalation of violence in Haiti. Though there are no reports of Haitians seeking refuge amid the ongoing instability, the police say they are still preparing for such situations.
While saluting the residents for their quick action in alerting the police to the arrival of the Haitians, DSP Haughton is urging citizens to exercise extreme caution while faced with such situations.
More in this CVM Live story from Christeen Forbes:
