A total of 12 police officers, including two from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service crime task force, have successfully completed a two-week drug expert witness trafficking course.

The programme took place at the Bermuda Police Service training school in Prospect, and was delivered by Ian Broughton and Chris Greene, both experienced former police officers in Britain, who now run Expert Witness Services in the UK.

Detective Superintendent Sherwin Joseph, of the BPS specialist investigations department, said: “This course demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the BPS to professionalise investigations, build specialist policing capacity and work collaboratively with other jurisdictions.

“Furthermore, the recently completed training has significantly enhanced the capability of the BPS in managing drug-trafficking cases, while emphasising adherence to legal standards and best practices.”

A police spokesman said that course participants received comprehensive training on the roles and responsibilities of an expert witness, with a strong emphasis on the Cresswell Principles (Ikarian Reefer) as relevant case law.

The Cresswell Principles are regarded as the classic statement of the duties and responsibilities of expert witnesses.

The spokesman said that in addition to gaining expert knowledge on the illicit drug trade and related commodities, the 12 officers were introduced to expert witness report writing, the handling of exhibits and the principles of disclosure.