Four people detained while illegally entering into St Lucia

Saint Lucia police announced that they had detained four individuals after catching two boats that were attempting to infiltrate the country illegally from the neighbouring French island of Martinique.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Milton Desir, informed journalists that the people were captured and would be charged for unlawful entry into St Lucia. He announced the suspensions followed a shared operation between the Marine and Territorial Police.

“We were able to catch two boats arriving from Martinique,” Desir later told a conference of the National Emergency Management Advisory Committee as administrators examined the country’s coronavirus protocols.

“The people, in each situation we had four persons on board, those individuals in both instances were captured and the boats impounded,” he continued.

The issue of unlawful entry continues a continuing obstacle for law enforcement and health authorities with officials suggesting that the practice has added to the nation’s second wave of COVID-19.

“The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) proceeds to endeavour at making people implement the rules established out by the Ministry of Health,” Desir stated, adding “but I must familiarise you that the police officers are up to doing it.”

The announcement from the Police arrived ahead of the latest communication from the Ministry of Health that the island had recorded another eight cases of the coronavirus, all of whom are locals. This takes the total number of cases to date to 246.