Criminal Networks Becoming More Sophisticated – Premier Warns at Security Summit

Hon. Charles Washington Misick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands has warned that crime fighters across the Northern Caribbean are confronting a new era of criminality that is increasingly sophisticated, interconnected and adaptive.

Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam (third from left seated), and Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick (fourth from left seated), share lens with fellow cabinet colleagues, regional representatives, the local Opposition Leader Hon. Edwin Astwood (second from right standing), and members of local and regional law enforcement. Photo: Vivian Tyson

Speaking at the 4th Northern Caribbean Security Summit, the Premier called for deeper regional cooperation to combat transnational criminal networks that are exploiting maritime routes, technology and shifting migration patterns with growing precision.

“We gather at a time when the security environment across our region is becoming more complex and more interconnected,” Misick told delegates. “Transnational criminal networks are increasingly sophisticated. Maritime routes are exploited with greater precision. Irregular migration patterns are shifting.”

He noted that technology has transformed both legitimate commerce and criminal enterprise, while climate-related risks are compounding vulnerabilities across island states.

“These realities demand not isolated responses, but coordinated and sustained monitoring,” the Premier stressed.

Moving Beyond a Reactive Posture

Misick outlined steps taken by the Turks and Caicos Islands to modernize its national security framework in response to evolving threats.

“In the Turks and Caicos, we have recognized that security must evolve just as quickly as the threats we face,” he said. “Over the past several years, we have deliberately strengthened and modernized our national security architecture. We have moved beyond a reactive posture toward a model grounded in intelligence, coordination, prevention, and institutional effectiveness.”

He highlighted the expansion of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force’s marine and intelligence-led capabilities, the consolidation of customs and immigration into a modern border force, and the growth of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment into what he described as “a disciplined and capable force” supporting maritime security, land operations and disaster response.

Through a unified command structure anchored by the National Security Secretariat, Misick said agencies now operate “not in silo, but in coordination, sharing intelligence, aligning strategy, and acting with unity of purpose.”

“Security is not merely about arrests or interdictions,” he added. “It is about good governance. It’s about public confidence. It’s about stability that underpins economic growth and social cohesion.”

Modernizing Long-Standing Partnerships

The Premier also referenced Operation Bahamas-Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), describing it as a decades-long example of regional security collaboration.

“For decades, OPBAT has embodied this spirit of partnership,” he said. “It has demonstrated that when nations combine intelligence, assets and resolve, we can disrupt criminal networks, intercept illicit traffic, and protect our maritime domain.”

For the Turks and Caicos Islands, located along major maritime corridors, such cooperation has been fundamental to national security, Misick noted.

However, he cautioned that today’s threats differ significantly from those of 30 years ago.

“The threats we face today are not the same as those of three decades ago. They adapt quickly to enforcement pressure. Our cooperation must therefore be equally dynamic,” he said.

He urged delegates not simply to preserve existing frameworks but to modernize them by strengthening maritime domain awareness, deepening intelligence sharing, enhancing interoperability among regional forces, and investing in training and technology.

Describing the conference as more than a routine meeting of officials, Misick framed it as a reaffirmation of regional solidarity.

“It is recognition that vulnerabilities in one jurisdiction can quickly affect another,” he said. “When we strengthen regional security cooperation, we strengthen economic confidence. When we protect our maritime borders, we protect livelihoods.”

He emphasized that the Northern Caribbean’s strategic importance matches its natural beauty, noting that tourism industries, investment climates, communities and democratic institutions all depend on stability and security.

“The Northern Caribbean is united in purpose, serious in commitment, and forward-looking in action,” the Premier declared.