Andrew Fahie, British Virgin Islands premier, arrested on cocaine-smuggling and money-laundering charges.

Politico: British Virgin Islands premier, arrested on cocaine-smuggling and money-laundering charges.

British Virgin Islands’ Premier Andrew Fahie was arrested Thursday on charges of conspiring to import cocaine and money laundering after a successful sting operation led by U.S. authorities.

Fahie, the elected head of government in the British overseas territory, was detained in Miami after agreeing to give agents posing as drug smugglers access to British Virgin Islands’ ports in exchange for $700,000 (€663,000).

Responding to the arrest, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she was “appalled by these serious allegations.”
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The British Virgin Islands government was already under investigation by the British government for organized crime, corruption, misuse of public funds and cronyism. In 2021, the U.K. set up a commission of inquiry into the allegations of misgovernance.
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At the time, Fahie denied government involvement in such activities, telling POLITICO they were “irresponsible.” “The inquiry has consumed the entire public service,” he added. “And so far, it has shown no proof of corruption in the BVI.”