Haitian authorities are claiming that two Jamaicans have perished following the interception of a rowboat transporting a large quantity of drugs near the shores of Haiti.

The Haitian National Police’s counter-narcotics unit claimed that during an operation led by Acting Superintendent Jeir Pierre, lawmen and the crew of a rowboat engaged in a struggle after their boat was stopped.

According to the authorities, the clash had ended with a Bahamian taken into custody, and two Jamaicans drowning. The police said over 90 kilos of cocaine were seized in what they described as “a first in the history of the northwest”.

However, whilst the Haitians celebrate, the Bahamian government has raised concerns about their official narrative. Nassau has stated that they were waiting on official confirmation, but had thus far only received unverified reports telling a different version of the story.

The Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “While on a speed boat, [the men] were shot at from unknown persons, which resulted in two of the males being killed and another hospitalised.”

The Jamaican government is yet to issue a statement on the incident.

For years, Jamaican and Haitian gangs have engaged in what has been labelled the ‘guns for drugs’ trade, with Jamaican criminals supplying their Haitian counterparts with copious amounts of cocaine and other illicit drugs in exchange for high-grade firearms. Fishermen from both countries have often served as middlemen, transporting contraband on behalf of the parties involved.