A 32-year-old visitor was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, after pleading guilty to the charge of Possession of Articles for Use to Defraud. The defendant was arrested by Customs and Border Control (CBC) officers at the Owen Roberts International Airport on Tuesday, 16 June 2026. During an examination of his luggage, CBC officers discovered several electronic devices, including equipment suspected of being used for card-skimming activities.
Numerous credit cards and other items were also found concealed among his belongings. The investigation was conducted by CBC investigators in close collaboration with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS). The successful prosecution reflects the continued cooperation between the two agencies in detecting, investigating, and disrupting financial and other criminal activity at the Cayman Islands’ borders. Minister for District Administration and Home Affairs, the Honourable Nickolas DaCosta, said,
“This successful prosecution sends a clear and unequivocal warning to anyone who believes they can come to the Cayman Islands to prey on our people or profit from criminal activity: do not come. You will be detected, arrested and brought before our courts. The Cayman Islands is not a soft target. This case demonstrates the continued transformation of Customs and Border Control into an intelligence-led border security agency, working closely with its law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt and prevent criminal threats before they reach our communities.
1 Our Government remains committed to ensuring CBC has the people, technology, powers and resources it needs to protect our borders, strengthen national security and keep the Cayman Islands a safe place to live, work, visit and do business.” CBC Director Marlon Bodden said, “This outcome demonstrates the vigilance, professionalism, and commitment of our officers in identifying and intercepting individuals who may seek to use the Cayman Islands as a conduit for criminal activity.
It also underscores the importance of strong collaboration among our law enforcement partners. I thank our colleagues at RCIPS for their valuable assistance throughout this investigation. CBC will continue to work closely with its partners to protect our borders, combat financial crime, and safeguard the Cayman Islands community.” CBC remains committed to preventing the importation of prohibited, restricted, and illicit items and to detecting and disrupting criminal activity across all ports of entry.