Jamaican News

Jamaica teen detained at Suriname airport on suspicion of intending to join Islamic State

By David McFadden

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
(DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

KINGSTON, Jamaica _ A Jamaican teenager has been detained in the South American country of Suriname on suspicion of being a would-be militant hoping to join Islamic extremists.

In a statement, Suriname’s police force said the 16-year-old was denied entry after arriving at the country’s main airport on a Saturday flight. The teen, whose identity was not disclosed, was apparently trying to fly to the Netherlands and then to Turkey.

An intelligence agency Suriname police did not identify informed them that the Jamaican apparently intended to slip into Syria to join Islamic State militants. After being questioned and obtaining background information on the youth, he was flown back to Jamaica.

Jamaica‘s national security ministry did not provide comment Sunday. Last month, the ministry insisted there was “no evidence” of Jamaicans joining the Islamic State group or other terrorist groups a few days after a U.S. general identified the island as one of the Caribbean nations that have produced roughly 100 would-be militants fighting with Islamic extremists in Syria.

Gen. John Kelly, who heads the U.S. Southern Command, said Iran and Islamic extremist groups were doing a “fair amount” of recruiting in the region, with some people becoming radicalized through the Internet and others through radical mosques. He listed Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname and Venezuela as countries where officials believe recruits have departed for Syria.

Overall, the Caribbean is apparently a small source of foreign fighters. A recent U.N. report said the number of fighters leaving home to join al-Qaida and the Islamic State has spiked to more than 25,000 from over 100 nations. The report mentioned an increase in fighters from Trinidad, where Islamic militants tried to overthrow the government in 1990.

During President Barack Obama’s trip to Jamaica last week to meet with Caribbean Community leaders, Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued a statement saying she was “very concerned of the threat of terrorism” for her country and the region. She disclosed that the U.S. has agreed to a “Caribbean security summit” which she says could be held as early as June.

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David McFadden on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmcfadd

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