Virgin Islands PM Arrested In US Over Money Laundering And Cocaine

JAKARTA - The Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands was arrested Thursday in Miami, United States, on suspicion of money laundering and conspiracy to import cocaine, according to a complaint by the US anti-drug trafficking Agency (DEA).

Prime Minister Andrew Fahie, 51, was arrested at an airport in Miami along with the chief director of the British territory's Port Authority, the complaint read by Reuters.

Fahie's detention was first disclosed by British Virgin Islands Governor John Rankin.

"I realize that this news will shock the people of the Territory", Rankin said in a statement quoted from Antara. "And I will ask that at this time the calm is maintained."

The complaint also contains a confession from a person whose identity is withheld.

The DEA (US Drug Enforcement Administration) said Fahie had previously approved the informant to use British Virgin Islands ports to ship cocaine in exchange for a payment of US$500,000.

The informant is said to have pretended to be a member of the Mexican drug cartel, Sinaloa.

DEA chief Anne Milgram said the arrests should send a strong message that "anyone involved in bringing dangerous drugs into the United States will be brought to justice, no matter what their position."

The DEA revealed that the investigation had started in October last year based on the results of monitoring and recordings from classified informants.

According to the US agency's complaint, the informant in question claimed to be a member of a cartel seeking to transport thousands of kilograms of Colombian cocaine to Tortola Island in the British Virgin Islands -- and ultimately to Puerto Rico for transport to New York and Miami.

The informant revealed his identity when he had a series of meetings with Fahie, Managing Director of the British Virgin Islands port Oleanvine Maynard, and Maynard's son, Kadeem Maynard.

"Fahie agreed to allow the secret source to use existing ports to ship the cocaine", the DEA complaint said. PM Fahie demanded an upfront payment of US$500,000 in return.

The prime minister also asked for help to pay a debt of $83,000 to a man in Senegal, who had "resolved" some political problems for him, the complaint said.

Fahie was arrested in Miami after being separately shown shopping bags of branded goods on a private plane. The items appear to have totaled $700,000 for him and Oleanvine Maynard, the DEA said.

PM Fahie's office has not responded to a request for further information.