Boat Theft Suspect Charged
Officers from the Serious Crime Unit (SCU) of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force have made a breakthrough following boat thefts in the TCI.
Today (19th May 2024), FARIDSON JEAN BAPTISTE, a Haitian national, was charged with the following offences:
- Theft of TCI boat Marauder
- Theft of TCI boat Jupiter
- Theft of TCI boat Team Baja
- Handling Stolen Goods
Assisting Illegal Entry into the TCI
Mr JEAN BAPTISTE was initially detained on April 5th 2024, while attempting to enter the TCI on a high-powered boat that was reported stolen.
At the time of the interception, thirty (30) irregular migrants were being transported. Mr JEAN BAPTISTE remains in custody pending a court date.
The arrest and subsequent charges against Mr Jean Baptiste follow a complex, multi-jurisdictional investigation by the SCU and the Haitian National Police.
These investigations resulted in the recovery of boats and other property stolen from the TCI, which were retrieved from several locations in Haiti.
The recovered property has an estimated value of over $1.2 million.