PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM), in close cooperation with the Customs Department, Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMAR), and the Immigration Department of Sint Maarten, carried out a coordinated enforcement action at a hotel establishment in the Cay Hill area.
The joint operation forms part of the ongoing efforts of the authorities to strengthen Sint Maarten’s overall enforcement and border-security capacity, while addressing illegal stay, human smuggling and human trafficking, firearms, organized crime and other serious criminal activities.
During the operation, Immigration Department officers identified and arrested 18 persons found to be residing illegally on Sint Maarten. The Immigration Department took these individuals into custody for further processing and investigation.
In addition, the operation resulted in the arrest of a male suspect who was wanted in connection with several armed robberies involving jewelry stores. The suspect was apprehended during the operation and subsequently transported to the Police Station in Philipsburg, where he is being held for questioning.
During the same coordinated action, another male suspect and 2 female suspects were arrested in connection with the possession of a firearm and are suspects in several other criminal activities. Authorities also transported them to the Police Station in Philipsburg, where they remain in custody pending further investigation and questioning.
The authorities are fully aware of the importance of Sint Maarten’s current tier status in efforts to combat human trafficking and remain committed to taking concrete, sustained measures to strengthen compliance with international standards.
Sint Maarten recognizes that improving its response requires continuous, coordinated action across the agencies responsible for law enforcement, immigration, border control, prosecution, and victim protection.
Coordinated enforcement actions such as this operation are part of those ongoing efforts. They demonstrate the commitment of Sint Maarten’s law-enforcement, immigration and border-control agencies to identifying vulnerabilities, disrupting criminal networks, preventing and addressing human trafficking and human smuggling, protecting potential victims, and strengthening the island’s overall response to these serious crimes.
All persons arrested during this operation remain in custody while the respective investigations are ongoing.
The Police Force of Sint Maarten, together with the Customs and Immigration Departments and other partners, emphasizes that coordinated enforcement operations of this nature will continue in the coming days and weeks.
The authorities remain committed to working together and taking concrete action to ensure that Sint Maarten continues to strengthen its compliance with international standards and improve its overall response to human trafficking and related criminal activities.
