October started with the usual hope that this annual Atlantic hurricane season will soon make way for a successful tourism season on which the population’s livelihood to a large extent depends. Interim Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley in his recent World Tourism Day message lauded the return to pre-coronavirus-pandemic arrival statistics and a continued strong recovery in both stayover and cruise visitor numbers.
However, the front-page picture of this newspaper’s Friday/Saturday edition is most definitely not the image a vacation destination needs to be portraying. What were said to be 100% controls on incoming bags by Customs at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) caused huge delays for guests who reportedly waited in line for hours.
This “zero tolerance” approach was due to firearms and ammunition being smuggled into the country by evading checkpoints abroad, confirmed Justice Minister Anna Richardson in a release issued Friday. She mentioned a specific case where someone claiming to be an active police officer elsewhere took along their service weapon as protection, which is prohibited without the minister’s explicit prior permission for everyone including law enforcement officials.
Lacking such a “consent document”, the import of guns carries a maximum fine of 10,000 Netherlands Antillean guilders or a four-year prison sentence. The firearms in question will obviously be confiscated too.
Minister Richardson acknowledged that the “intensified actions” affected a free flow of passengers and may have led to discomfort, but said there is also a duty to protect society by controlling what is brought in. While the latter is no doubt true, solutions should still be explored to prevent massive congestion during these kinds of operations especially as things get busier in the next few months.
The ministry, PJIA and Customs ought to seriously consider adding more luggage scanners and personnel if these comprehensive checks are to continue. That way, the island can remain both secure and welcoming.
