MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

BOT Virgin Islands' Premier arrested on alleged drug plot; Foreign Secretary Truss “appalled”

Fahie has been accused of conspiring to import a controlled substance and money laundering, according to US authorities

The Miami Herald has reported that Andrew Fahie, the premier of the British Virgin Islands, is currently being held in the US after being apprehended in Miami on 28 April over an alleged drug plot. Fahie was appointed to his role of premier by the Queen in 2019 and has been in charge of running the Caribbean island ever since.

According to US officials, he has been accused of conspiring to import a controlled substance and money laundering.

Fahie is the premier of the British Virgin Islands, since winning the election in 2019. He has had a political career since 1999, when he was elected as the 1st District representative, a post which he has held ever since and has been the chairman of the Virgin Islands Party since 2016. Fahie is married to Sheila Fahie and the pair have three children.

US officials allege, the 51-year old has been accused of being part of a drug trafficking plot and money laundering. The Miami Herald reports Fahie was caught up in a sting operation which saw DEA agents posing as cocaine traffickers from the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

Fahie allegedly agreed to let the cartel use the British Virgin Islands' port to transport their drugs for a payment of £560,000.

In a statement British Foreign secretary Liz Truss said: “This afternoon, the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie, was arrested in the United States on charges related to drugs trafficking and money laundering. I am appalled by these serious allegations.”

This is not the first time the government of the British Virgin Islands has made headlines for alleged corruption. Last year it turned out Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Cox had made hundreds of thousands of pounds after acting as a lawyer for Fahie during a British government inquiry into corruption in the island.

Fahie has denied all allegations that he is involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.