In an official statement the Royal Virgin Islands Police force has responded to allegations of an alleged cover up involving Law Enforcement officials who allegedly illegally departed and sought to return to the territory on Friday, April 1st, 2022 to the USVI using an official vessel.
The statement said, “On Wednesday, 30 March, officers of the RVIPF travelled to St. Thomas on official business on-board the Midnight Justice. A prospective officer, who applied and successfully fulfilled the requirements to join the Force but was not yet sworn in, travelled with the team on that trip to St. Thomas. No other civilians were on-board the vessel. Present inquiries are ongoing into whether that prospective officer followed required Immigration and Customs procedures for exiting and entering the Territory. The RVIPF is cooperating with Immigration and Customs officers.”
See previous story below.
RVIPF OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY SUSPECTED OF HUMAN SMUGGLING, MISLEADING POLICE, NO DECLARATION; CHARGES EXPECTED TO BE LAID
Senior sources within the Immigration and Customs Department have confirmed with 284 Media that some 5 Officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and a civilian were caught in a major cover up operation where the Law Enforcement officials in question allegedly illegally departed and sought to return to the territory on Friday, April 1st, 2022 to the USVI using an official vessel.
The source stated that the Captain and Mate were police officers, with three additional officers along with a civilian who is the spouse of one of the officers. Customs officials say no manifest shows them checking out, additionally customs department has a partial detention on the vessels used by the officers in their failed operation.
Customs and Immigration department are expected to lay charges including; misleading police, no declaration and human smuggling among other charges.
Commissioner of Police Mark Collins is said to have stated to both Immigration and Customs Department that he only authorized travel for one of the RVIPF members, a Caucasian working as a police analyst. However, no official statement has been received from the agency.
Our newsroom reached out to the Commissioner of Police who was unavailable for a comment at the time.
Recently Talk show host, Claude O. Skelton-Cline brought the matter to the forefront during his radio program. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking talk show on yesterday April 5th, 2022, Skelton-Cline called for immediate answers. Staying, “I understand this past Friday, I don’t know if it’s Immigration or Customs… but they stopped the Royal Virgin Islands Police (RVIPF) boat from taking somebody out the country, didn’t clear them here, clearing them into St Thomas and bringing them back.”
He continued, “Somehow, they got intercepted and where now the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force is being accused and whoever those persons were, of smuggling. I want yall to know, this is in the public space already… this is a part of the public conversation… I hope there’s no cover-up on this matter.”
Skelton-Cline questioned the trust of public law enforcement officials, stating, “Here is it, three law enforcement bodies… tell me you all not in cahoots with each other? Tell me this is not degradation of trust and confidence in the bodies that is supposed to protect this country?”