Aircraft missing on flight from St Vincent to Tobago
In an update on the missing Baron aircraft amid suspected narco-trafficking links, St Vincent Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock, said the plane has been located and reports from regional agencies suggest that the aircraft has moved between different South American destinations over the last 24 to 48 hours.
Leacock who provided a highly guarded update on the situation, emphasized the need for caution as the incident remains a “moving story”.
Speaking on NBC Radio, Leacock, who also serves as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers for the Regional Security System (RSS), stressed that he must act with due diligence so as not to compromise the ongoing work of international law enforcement agencies. Addressing public concerns, he established that the first priority in such incidents is passenger safety, but firmly noted that there is “no evidence of a crashed aircraft” anywhere in the Caribbean.
Instead, authorities suspect deliberate evasive maneuvers, noting that the aircraft turned off its transponders to avoid detection. Despite this, Leacock confirmed that the plane’s location is known to relevant authorities and that it appears to have shifted from its original South American destination to another nearby location.
He reassured the public that international agencies, alongside regional networks like CARICOM IMPACS and Interpol, are monitoring the aircraft and the individuals involved very closely. Leacock warned that even when transponders are disabled, sovereign states and regional organizations possess the technological means to monitor such covert movements.
Placing the incident in a broader context, the Minister noted that this is not the first time an aircraft has vanished from the nation’s airspace. He shared observations from regional security experts indicating a tactical shift among criminal elements such as narco-traffickers who are increasingly moving their illicit distribution strategies from the sea to the air. This pivot has led to a noticeable increase in suspicious air traffic across the region’s airspace.
Leacock praised the coordination between local authorities, including the Commissioner of Police, and higher-level intelligence networks. He reaffirmed that while criminals continually try to stay one step ahead, regional law enforcement is actively using shared databases, intelligence exchanges, and specialized technology to track and intercept these illicit movements.