Thread: Passengers Robbed At Gunpoint (off of Celebrity Mercury)

Originally Posted by timwilloughby

This just in from hanna -

Itinerary Change for Princess Grand Princess.
Our stop at St Kitts on Wed has been cancelled because 2 cruise ship tour buses were stopped by gangs and one of the buses was robbed of their valuables. We will go to Antigua instead.
Barbados was a great day...

Hate the REASON for the itinerary change ... but had rather go to Antigua anyway ....

Glad Hanna is having a good cruise!

Originally Posted by gkm

I just heard on Fox and Friends that Celebrity has cancelled all stops to St. Kitts indefinitely.

Garry

Thanks for the update, Garry.

Unfortunately the islands can't do much to stop the attacks. It would be as simple as us stopping the Somali pirates. Too many places and too few police. If the islands increased the number of police 10 fold, it might improve the chances of catching the thieves but there will still be too much land to try to control. Increase the police 100 fold and you might stop the crime, but the island would go bankrupt from the costs. There is no good solution.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Wednesday November 17, 2010 – Four people are being questioned in connection with Sunday’s attack on a group of tourists that National Security Minister Sam Condor has described as an act of treason.

Acting Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd announced at a press conference yesterday evening that no charges have yet been laid but police are questioning the four about the armed robbery that prompted two cruise lines to cancel calls to St Kitts this week.

Liburd declined to say either how far investigations have reached or if/when charges would be laid.

The four “persons of interest” were picked up when police and soldiers carried out several operations yesterday morning.

Liburd said the information provided by the public is what ultimately led to the arrests.

"We had overwhelming public support on this and it shows the influence of tourism," he said.

A special investigative task force has been set up to investigate the robbery. Increased tactical patrols and uniformed police presence have also been established in the tourism-concentrated areas and other key venues.

Yesterday's arrests came two days after the incident in which 17 visitors, who arrived in the island on the Celebrity Mercury, were ambushed on a tour bus as it was heading to a popular tourist attraction, Brimstone Hill, in the north-west of the island.

According to police, the driver got out of the bus to move a tree branch that was in the road when someone threw a rock at the windshield. Two armed, masked men reportedly then rushed from the bushes, boarded the bus and held the visitors at gunpoint, taking money, jewelry, cell phones and other personal items from them.

An act of treason, Minister says

“I view this attack on our visitors, like the attack or sabotage of any other segment or sector of our economy, as an attack on our national economic security and, as such, a crime of treason,” the National Security Minister said in a televised address on Monday night.

“The Ministry of National Security, the entire government and, I do believe, the vast majority of citizens and residents of this, or beloved land, vehemently condemn this vicious attack on our guests. We abhor any act of violence against innocent people. The robbery of any individual, local or visitor, is an act of assault, which is illegal and totally unacceptable.”

FMI: Four arrested in tourists' robbery - Caribbean360

YouTube Video

Some more local news reports:


St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—Four persons are presently helping the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force with their investigations into the robbery of 17 cruise tourists at Brimstone Hill on Sunday. A police press statement released on Tuesday afternoon said a number of operations were mounted in the early hours of Tuesday morning November 16th in the Sandy Point area where a number of police officers and members of the St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force conducted several searches on homes, persons and vehicles.

According to the press release four (4) persons of interest to the police in relation to the robbery were arrested and a number of items were taken into police custody. In addition the High Command of the Security Forces had consultations with the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders. A holistic action plan was established to tackle the continued investigations into this unprecedented and dastardly act which is deeply regretted.

On Tuesday afternoon Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime, Joseph Liburd addressed the media during a press conference at Government Headquarters. “Yes we have four individuals in custody and they are assisting the police at present with our investigations,” ACP Liburd said. He said the investigations is in its initial stage and thus cannot comment further on this case. However, he pointed out that the police are expected to go to the very end with its investigations.

The police revealed that an action plan involving increased tactical patrols and uniform police presence in tourism concentrated areas and other areas will be established along with a special investigative task force to investigate the incident and others areas deemed vulnerable. (November 16, 2010)


FMI: Winn FM (St. Kitts Nevis) News: Four Arrested In Connection With Brimstone Hill Robebry

The good news is that arrests have been made.

The bad news is that financial damage has already been done because of the cruises being pulled out of St. Kitts.

I wonder how long it will be before it's "business as usual" on this island paradise?

St Kitts not on my stops in Jan/Feb but their are some stops I dont like so must be alert