Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley. - File

Twenty thousand Canadian dollars (J$1.5 million) that was seized from a Canadian drug dealer's bank account was, on Tuesday, handed over to the Ministry of National Security.

Minister of National Security, Colonel Trevor MacMillan received the funds from Canadian High Commissioner Denis Kingsley at the ministry's Oxford Road offices in New Kingston.

The drug dealer had been importing drugs from Jamaica into Canada and, according to Kingsley, had a major bank account in Jamaica full of deposits from the proceeds of crime.

MacMillan said he would invest the money in police counter narcotics operations.

Partnership

He said the funds represent only a small portion of the benefits gained when partnerships are formed in an effort to fight organised crime.

"Agreements such as these, between countries like Canada and Jamaica, for the purpose of gathering and exchanging infornmation in an effort to enhance laws, have become critical," the minister said.

Kingsley, while acknowledging that crime was an international problem, said it was also important that international partnerships are formed to fight crime.

"It is a sign of the trust Canadians have in the Jamaican capacity to fight crime," he said.

Commended force

Kingsley also commended the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for its improvements in crime fighting and said "the strengthening of the JCF was exemplary".

Retrieving the funds was a collaborative effort between both countries; the $20,000 Canadian represents Jamaica's portion.

An agreement, which was signed in 1999, determines the percentage of funds each country would be entitled to, depending on the level of effort to get the case resolved.