News

Workforce Opportunities & Residency Cayman (WORC), Customs & Border Control (CBC) and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) worked together to remove a person wanted by the Jamaican authorities for information relating to a murder in Jamaica.

The wanted person arrived in Grand Cayman on 1 January, 2023 and was returned to Jamaica under the escort of two RCIPS officers on 5 January, 2023.

Jamaican authorities initially contacted CBC on 2 January, 2023 with an arrest warrant for the person, who went by a particular nickname, and no full name was provided at the initial point of contact.

A Caymanian small business owner had applied for a temporary work permit on 15 December for the individual, who at the time had a clean police record, and the permit was approved on 28 December 2022.

The Jamaican authorities reached back out to CBC on 3 January and provided the full name of the suspect. CBC then contacted WORC and issued an advisory with the full name of the wanted person and immediate action was taken to revoke the temporary work permit. The Caymanian employer holding the temporary work permit also decided to formally cancel the application on 3 January preceding the suspect’s arrest, detention and removal from the island within 24 hours of her arrest.

WORC and CBC will continue to work together to ensure that individuals fleeing criminal prosecution do not enter or remain in the Cayman Islands.

WORC Acting Interim Director Jeremy Scott said “WORC and CBC remain focused and resolute in effectively strengthening our border protection measures, ultimately protecting our community against risks associated with national security and public safety interests. Our departments continue to work effectively on varying strategic and operational initiatives, inclusive of other local law enforcement and Government departments, yielding positive results in detection of crimes and assurance of compliance across varying laws. This case was just one example demonstrating our effective networking ties which permitted us to respond and act quickly upon confirmation of the suspect’s identity, facilitated by Jamaican authorities.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Border Control Hon. Chris Saunders said, “I am proud of the swift and strategic action taken by WORC and CBC in collaboration with RCIPS and the Jamaican authorities. We must take a very strong stance and clearly demonstrate that the Cayman Islands does not welcome or provide a safe haven for individuals absconding from the law in their home countries. We will continue to ensure that the Cayman Islands remain one of the best and safest places to live and work.”