British Virgin Islands (BVI) Governor John Rankin Thursday called for calm after United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials arrested the Caribbean Territory’s Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie, 51.
On Thursday, investigators held Fahie and the BVI’s port director, Oleanvine Maynard, at a Miami airport on drug and money laundering charges.
Reuters News Agency reported that a DEA complaint said Fahie had agreed to allow an informant, posing as a member of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, to use BVI ports to ship cocaine in return for a payment of $500,000.
“I realise this will be shocking news for people in the Territory. And I would call for calm at this time,” BVI Governor John Rankin said in a statement.
British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss said she was ‘appalled’ by “these serious allegations.”
As a result of Fahie’s arrest, BVI Deputy Premier Natalio Wheatley will function as Acting Premier.
Wheatley called for Fahie and Maynard to be afforded due process in the United States courts.
He also urged calm and patience, saying he could not comment further on the case since it was an active investigation.
