U.S., Bahamas Join in Seizure of 8 Fugitives on Drug Charges

U.S.marshals and Bahamian police Monday announced the arrest of eight international fugitives wanted in this country on drug smuggling charges, marking the first time that the two nations have cooperated on such an ambitious crackdown.

The arrests should send a message that “there are no safe havens” for fugitive drug smugglers in the Caribbean Basin, Stephen E. Morris, director of the U.S. Marshals Service, said at a news conference in Miami.

American officials said they had worked with Bahamian police for 10 weeks to identify and track down the fugitives, all but one of whom are Bahamian citizens. The suspects are in Bahamian jails, awaiting extradition to this country.

Flamboyant Attorney

Among those arrested was Nigel Bowe, a flamboyant Nassau attorney with close ties to Bahamian business leaders and government officials, U.S. investigators said. They said that Bowe is believed to be responsible for most of the major cocaine and marijuana shipments from the Bahamas to the United States in recent years.

Bowe, whose personal wealth has been estimated at $50 million to $100 million, also is alleged to be involved in establishing offshore money laundering schemes, bank accounts and property investments for major narcotics traffickers, officials said.

Last month a federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment against Bowe, 46, who faces a maximum of life in prison and a fine of more than $1 million if convicted, U.S. Atty. Leon B. Kellner said.

Morris praised the Bahamian government for its “courage” in dealing so straightforwardly with its own citizens, saying: “It’s not easy for any country, and it serves as extreme evidence of the Bahamians’ willingness to deal with crime.”

Little Cooperation

In recent years, however, U.S. drug enforcement officials said they received little cooperation from Bahamian officials, some of whom were believed to be conduits for millions of dollars’ worth of marijuana and cocaine shipments.

During Monday’s news conference, Morris pointed out that a complex operation of this kind would have been impossible without the cooperation of the Bahamian police.

“The planning takes longer than the operation when you have two sovereign nations with two sets of laws,” Morris said. “Lots of lawyers have to get involved.”

Besides Bowe, the fugitives who jumped bail and were later arrested include Maralyn Dean, 26; Marcus E. Dean, 40; Anthony Bain, 29, a U.S. citizen convicted of smuggling 70,310 Quaalude tablets; Charles C. Gibson, 40; Stephen Key, 26; Artimus Neeley, 45, and Edwin Wallace, 60.

Josh Getlin reported from Washington and Lorna Nones reported from Miami.