Calls have gone out for Government to provide financing for additional Customs officers to ensure greater success at drug seizures this year at the cruise ship terminals.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said last year's dismal record of seizures at the ports - which amounted to just three during the entire cruise ship season - had to be improved on this year.

And she said the only way that would happen was if Government strengthened security at the ports by employing additional officers to compliment the present Customs staff, and work alongside the security firms already in place at the terminals.

She said with such massive drug problems on the Island, it was obvious that methods used last year, and the staffing, were inadequate.

She said: “Two years ago, the Government took a position of removing Customs officers from the ports of entry, and put security firms there instead. Clearly, that has to be stepped up. Customs officers should be in place at the ports of entry.

“There are only two ways drugs can get onto the Island - by air and by sea. We did very well at the airport last year with seizures, but we need to do more at the ports.

“There doesn't seem to be a desire or a commitment from Government to ensure that drugs are stomped out of this society.”

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said she hoped Finance Minister Eugene Cox, who has responsibility in his Ministry for Customs, had allocated additional funds in the Budget for more staff.

And she also suggested that maybe now that both Immigration and Customs officers were combining their efforts, there may be room to transfer additional people to the Customs Department.

She added: “It is not the officers' fault - there is only so much they can do - but we obviously need more people. We simply have to have a better interdiction policy from Government.”

The Royal Gazette asked Mr. Cox earlier this year whether money for additional Customs officers would be made available this year.

However, he refused to comment, saying that he was unable to discuss any aspect of the Budget until it was revealed in the House of Assembly later this month.

But this week, The Royal Gazette was told that Customs and Police narcotics officers were undergoing additional training in a bid to have greater success on the cruise ships this year.

And last night, head of the Police narcotics team Supt. Larry Smith said both Customs and Police were in talks to look at ways to change their interdiction methodology from last season.