London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

UK Navy Ship: As A Law Enforcer I Welcome It - Top Cop

UK Navy Ship: As A Law Enforcer I Welcome It - Top Cop

Head of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), Commissioner Michael Matthews said the presence of the United Kingdom’s HMS Medway lending support through border security is welcomed.

The territory has been plagued with human and drug smuggling for a long time, and these illegal activities between the US and the British Virgin Islands was partially blamed for the spike in COVID-19 cases in the BVI.

As a result, stringent measures such as tighter curfew orders and the closure of a wide cross-section of businesses were imposed.

“The Royal Navy in the waters at the moment and that’s an added bonus,” he remarked during a recent interview with JTV.

He said while the RVIPF is unable to mix with the military personnel due to the COVID-19, “but by the same token, extra assets out on the water are able to tell us more about the movements maybe even intercept movements on our behalf or draw our attention to suspicious things.”

“It isn’t every day of the week or month of the year, but when the opportunity comes I for one as a law enforcer I welcome it,” he stated, adding that it is not for him to say whether it is right or wrong and how long they should be here.

“I am just grateful that we got a degree of support any time of the year that we can put it to good use,” he said.

Suspicious Cargo


Commissioner Matthews also mentioned that the navy was able to intercept a ‘suspicious vessel carrying a suspicious cargo even just before they got to us.”

He however did not say, whether anyone was brought before the court on charges relating to the interception.

It is important to note that the arrival of the ship in the territory’s waters caused a public rift between the Premier Hon. Andrew Fahie and Governor Augustus Jaspert.

Jaspert invited the ship to patrol the waters without the consent of Fahie, who publicly said, the BVI could handle its own affairs and had hired several vessels including three barges at over $4000 per day, per barge.

Since the saga, premier Fahie wrote to UK’s Minister for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development, Baroness Elizabeth G. Sugg to complain about Governor Jaspert’s actions.

Opposition legislators who referred to the letter’s tone as ‘aggressive,’ ‘confrontational’ and ‘derogative’ have since distanced themselves from the said correspondence as they believe it puts a further strain on the relationship between the BVI and the UK.

The ship will spend one month in the territorial waters.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×