On June 13, 2024, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force arrested and charged Leonardo Frett, a 64-year-old resident of Long Look, with Inflicting Grievous Bodily Harm.Frett is alleged to have been the assailant in an incident earlier this year in East End, Tortola, where a woman was seriously injured after being assaulted with a piece of wood.Following an investigation, Frett was arrested and subsequently granted police baiL until his cou...

The Bryan Administration says it has a zero tolerance policy on corruption.

V.I. Office of Management and Budget Director linked to investigation surrounding Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and contracted firm.

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force continues to make progress in combating property crimes, charging one individual in relation to two recent,unrelated incidents of crime on Tortola.On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, detectives of the Criminal Investigation Department arrested and charged De'Shaun Thomas, a 19-year-old male of Sea Cow's Bay. Thomas was charged with Theft of a motor scooter, which occurred on May 19, 2024. The scooter was subsequently recovered by the police.Thomas was also ch...

“The danger is now in our midst.  The crown jewel of tourism, Virgin Gorda, was visited twice in ten days.Residents and employees on the island are shocked.  Fear is palpable.  No one wants to work the ‘close up’ shift.BVI subsists on its twin economic pillars of financial services and tourism.  One can be shipped out in a suitcase while the other will vaporize on issues of insecurity and crime.The UK government is, constitutionally, responsible for security...

Relief for commuters sailing to and from Trellis Bay, Beef Island is on the horizon as a contract was signed on 11th June, to construct the Trellis Bay Welcome Centre.The Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA), on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands, signed a contract with No Limit Construction Services in the amount of two hundred and seventy-one thousand, two hundred seventy-nine dollars and sixty-seven cents (USD $271,279.67).The contract commences the construction of...

Deputy Premier and Minister for Labour and Workforce Development Honourable Lorna G. Smith has announced that significant progress is being made towards modernising the operations of the Department of Labour and Workforce Development.Honourable Smith said in a recent statement that technical preparations are being made for the implementation of a new Labour Management System in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology and consultants. The minister said the preparations we...

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is closely monitoring the seasonal increase in respiratory infections and is encouraging the community to take protective measures to reduce its exposure to infections.National Epidemiologist, Ms. Harmony Brewley-Massiah said according to the ministry’s statistics, the seasonal increases in respiratory infections spread across all age groups, with young children slightly more affected.Ms. Brewley-Massiah stated that a respiratory infection affe...

On Saturday 8 June, a forwarded message went viral. The contents of the message referred to a home on Slaney that was burglarised on more than one occasions. The resident indicated that on Wednesday 5 June, two men went to her home (on Slaney), beat up her cleaner, demanded money, threatened to rape the cleaner and then ransacked the home, and took more jewelry. This was apparently the second attack on her home in a matter of a few weeks. In the first incident, jewelry was also taken. ...

TWO MALE REPEAT OFFENDERS CHARGED FOR A SERIES OF OFFENCESFollowing several weeks of intensive investigation into reports of burglary, theft, and other offences committed at both commercial and residential properties, RVIPF detectives have preferred a series of criminal charges against two males.The males, Kie-Andre Williams, 21, of McNamara and Jehkhalibbah Williams, 19, of Free Bottom have been jointly charged with a series of offenses ranging from Burglary to Criminal Trespass in relation to ...

The Office of the Supervisor of Elections is advising the public that Voter Registration is ongoing, and individuals who are eligible to vote, should register to do so.Section (2) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 states that  an individual must be a Belonger18 years of age or older, and domiciled in the Virgin Islands to be eligible to vote.Persons must present a Virgin Islands Passport, with embossed seal, a Belonger’s Card or Belonger’s Certificate to register. A...

On Friday 7 June, sometime after 8pm, Officers of the RVIPF responded to reports of an armed robbery at the Bath & Turtle on Virgin Gorda.  Swift investigations indicate that a lone gunman who escaped on foot, took $250 of the day's earnings. The RVIPF is seeking witnesses as they continue investigations into the incident. Increase In RobberiesJust two weeks prior, on 26 May as the annual Leverick Bay Poker run got into high gear, two gunmen brazenly attempted to rob the L...

The rains are worrisome.  They are striking at the wealth of the (nation).It takes a lifetime to acquire wealth, most of which is invested in homes/property.  And in a matter of hours, if not minutes, it could all be gone.After hurricanes Irma and Maria, when many of our elderly beheld the damages to their properties with no means for repair, they took the low road and checked out of the game of life.  But even more important than the individual circumstance is the state.&nbs...

Under what appears to be the dark and cover of night, the Premier has cut his trip short, and returned to the island our sources are confirming. The Premier was due to return to the Territory on or around 12 June. Our sources are confirming that the Premier was ordered back to the Territory as ‘things aren’t well’, and he is needed on the ground. Also confirmed is that a UK Official was on the ground and unable to meet with the Premier due to him being out of the Territory...

In what seems to be exclusive comments, prominent New York City psychiatrist and Virgin Islands Belonger Henry Jarecki has moved to refute claims laid out in a lawsuit filed this week in New York by “Jane Doe 11”. The explosive sex trafficking lawsuit was brought by an anonymous Jeffrey Epstein accuser, stating Jarecki raped her after Epstein sent her to his office for complaints of depression. However, Jarecki is pushing back – denying the allegations as made up...

The 91-year-old doctor and business tycoon appears in Epstein’s notorious ‘little black book,’ but the extent of their connection has long been unclear.

Shortly after midnight on June 1, 2024, officers from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force responded to a report of a disturbance involving the use of a machete in Long Bush, outside Edge Nightclub.Initial investigations revealed that an altercation occurred between two males, during which one male, armed with a machete, injured the other.Shavoy Dasent, 23, of Josiah’s Bay, has been charged with Causing Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent and Armed with an Offensive Weapon. He remains in cus...

On Friday, May 31, 2024, officers from the Royal VirginIslands Police Force conducted several search operations on Virgin Gorda as part of investigations into the attempted armed robbery at Leverick Bay Resort on Sunday, May 26, 2024.Several search warrants were executed at multiple properties believed to be linked to the crime. Two individuals were arrested, and items of evidential valuewere seized.During one of the searches, evidence was also uncovered linking a person of interest to large-sca...

“We are island people and the sea is an ever present and central fixture in our lives. In BVI, views of the seascapes are legion.  They calm our spirits and at times, make us look beyond ourselves, perhaps to the god of the seas. (not Poseidon) None can dispute the fact that the BVI is an amazingly beautiful part of the creation.  We believe evolution would have been severely challenged to install such a masterpiece. The seas are a major source of food.&n...

Officers of the RVIPF's Marine Unit received a report of a suspicious vessel while on patrol after 11 pm on May 30. In collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, the officers intercepted and searched the vessel. During the search, several concealed packages suspected to contain cocaine were discovered. Our newsroom understands some 300 kilograms  of cocaine were seized. Research shows the street value at over $6 million dollar. The three male occupants of the vessel were ar...