Eight Americans have been arrested in the Bahamas after police discovered high-powered weapons, ammunition, and undeclared cash on their boat, authorities said.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the arrests took place on Tuesday in Bimini, a group of western islands around 50 miles east of Miami, Florida. Along with the eight US citizens, a South African and a person from Guyana were also taken into custody.
Officers from the Alice Town Police Station and the Bahamas Customs Department searched the vessel shortly after 11:30 a.m. local time, acting on intelligence. They confiscated three high-powered weapons, eleven firearms, a substantial amount of ammunition, and a considerable sum of undeclared cash.
The US embassy in the Bahamas warns that travellers must declare any currency exceeding $10,000 (or equivalent) when entering or leaving the country. Failure to do so can result in seizure and criminal prosecution. The embassy also noted that Bahamian customs strictly enforce firearms importation regulations, with stiff penalties for those who bring weapons or ammunition into the country.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, thanking the customs department and officers involved for their collaborative effort.
