St. John’s, Antigua – Prime Minister the Rt. Honourable Gaston Browne is threatening to disband one of Antigua and Barbuda’s key law-enforcement agencies, accusing it of failing to demonstrate its relevance in the fight against criminal activity. 

Browne has put the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) on notice, warning that the agency could be dismantled if it does not significantly improve its intelligence-gathering and surveillance operations.

The Prime Minister issued the warning during a meeting with the country’s law-enforcement leadership, as he outlined a more aggressive approach to tackling crime.

“As far as I’m concerned, it is becoming an irrelevant institution and you now need to show your relevance to the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” Browne said.

The agency serves as a supervisory authority for financial institutions under the Money Laundering Prevention Act and is involved in enforcing provisions relating to terrorism financing.

It is also Antigua and Barbuda’s primary counter-narcotics investigation and interdiction agency, with responsibility for collecting, developing and disseminating intelligence on illegal drugs.

Its work is guided by legislation covering money laundering, terrorism, proceeds of crime and drug offences, placing the agency at the centre of the country’s efforts to detect and disrupt financial and criminal activity.

It is against that mandate that Browne is now demanding greater results.

The Prime Minister said ONDCP must demonstrate its relevance by gathering more intelligence on criminal elements and maintaining surveillance on known offenders.

He also criticised the agency’s work schedule, saying reports of personnel working only half-days are unacceptable for a law-enforcement institution.

Browne directed a blunt warning at ONDCP Director Lieutenant Colonel Edward Croft.

“If you do not get your act together, I’m going to disband the ONDCP. We need you all. You need to get out there. You need to get intelligence. You need to be tracing all of these criminal elements.”

The warning places Croft and the agency under direct pressure to demonstrate that ONDCP’s statutory responsibilities are translating into tangible intelligence-led operations against criminal networks.

Browne says the government is prepared to provide additional resources but expects the agencies receiving those resources to demonstrate results.