Aruba Police Arrest Six in Drug and Weapons Bust

Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard in central Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, file photograph. (Photo: Choinowski via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

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CRIME · ARUBA

Aruba drug raids on Friday, 2 October, ended with six people in custody, according to the Aruba Police Force (KPA, its Papiamento initials). Officers seized hashish, marijuana, cocaine, ammunition and a rifle at two addresses.

The police statement, carried by the local outlets 24ora and Aruba Native, gave no quantities and no estimated street value. All six are suspects, are presumed innocent, and no court charges have been reported.

Two court-authorised searches

The operation was led by the force’s Narcotics Unit, working alongside its arrest team. Officers made two court-authorised entries, one at a house in Seroe Patrishi and one in Tanki Leendert.

The police said the searches followed an in-depth investigation. They did not say how long it had run or what first drew attention to the two addresses.

Other police sections took part, including the K-9 dog unit and the Flex Team. The statement did not mention any injuries or resistance during the entries.

Who was arrested

The police released only initials and ages. The three men are S.I.W.S., 25, R.J.V.B., 56, and R.J.E.B., 27, all born in Aruba.

The three women are B.F.S., 47, and T.S.S., 29, both born in Aruba, and A.A.T., 68. The statement gave no birthplace for the oldest suspect and did not describe the role each person is suspected of playing.

What was seized

Officers found what the police called a large load of drugs, including hashish, marijuana and cocaine. They also seized a quantity of bullets and ammunition and a heavy firearm, described as a rifle.

No weights, packaging details or cash seizures were mentioned. Without those figures, the size of this Aruba drug case cannot yet be compared with earlier seizures on the island.

The police framed the raids as part of a continuing effort against local drug dealing. They asked residents who know or have seen something to use the tip line, where callers stay anonymous.

How the case proceeds

Aruba’s criminal procedure follows the Dutch model. The Public Prosecutor’s Office, not the police, decides whether suspects are charged and whether to ask a judge for longer detention.

Until that happens, any of the six may be released without charge. A police arrest is the start of a case, not a finding of guilt.

Cross-border crime is a standing concern across the kingdom’s Caribbean islands. The four kingdom governments are due to meet in November, as reported in Sint Maarten to Host First Dutch Kingdom Summit.

Drug enforcement has also been active elsewhere in the region this week. On 1 October, Costa Rica Extradites Five Men to US on Drug Charges reported a separate case.

What Is Not Yet Known

The police have not said how much of each drug was found, or whether the rifle was licensed. They have not said whether the two addresses are linked, or whether more Aruba drug arrests are expected.

It is also unclear whether prosecutors will seek extended detention for all six. Neither 24ora nor Aruba Native carried comment from prosecutors or from lawyers for the suspects.

Sources: Aruba Police Force (KPA) statement of 2 October 2026, as published by 24ora (3 October 2026) and Aruba Native (2 October 2026).

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error