National

Fire Trail Shantytown Was Becoming an Area of Illegal Commerce

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – After a Fire Trail shantytown was torn down on Monday, Works and Family Island Affairs Minister, Clay Sweeting, revealed that site was also a place of illegal business activity.

Published

2 months ago

February 18, 2026

Joshua Williams

NASSAU , THE BAHAMAS – After a Fire Trail shantytown was torn down on Monday, Works and Family Island Affairs Minister, Clay Sweeting, revealed that site was also a place of illegal business activity.

It’s nothing new, as unregulated communities have been rumored to harbor underground businesses decades.

Speaking to reporters outside of Parliament on Wednesday, Sweeting says they’re going to continue cracking down on these communities.

We saw the tractors roll out and watched as 5 unregulated structures -a place 30-50 residents called home- was demolished on Monday.

And while government has been stepping up its efforts to tear down these shantytowns across the country, Works and Family Island Affairs Minister, Clay Sweeting, explained why that specific one had to go.

Clay sweeting – Minister, Works and Family Island Affairs

“There were alot of complaints about not just for the shanty town area, but it ended up becoming an area of commerce we have persons without business license for utilizing the shanty town to sell where else I guess happens in a lot of unregular community so that was dealt with on Monday. “)

This same task force has been on the move for over two years now, demolishing hundreds of illegal structures across the country. According to Sweeting, they’re not done yet.

Clay sweeting – Minister, Works and Family Island Affairs

“We’re also headed to the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera to clean up two areas at demolish over a year ago. Had some fires happening in those areas. I will have there to clean up on those demolish sites. We’ve notified persons in the well field we’re notified areas in Andros, we’re notified two areas in Abaco and will also some other areas around New Providence that we haven’t made mention of yet”

There is also the issue of suspicious fires with just days before a shantytown is set to be demolished, it experiences a fire or the remaining debris catches fire. This is something that Sweeting says they’re actively looking to address this as well.

Clay sweeting – Minister, Works and Family Island Affairs

“Unregulated communities have been a problem in The Bahamas for decades so person continue to build. It will continue to do what we can to monitor and to demolish and to warn those that fear it’s ok to build without permits online that doesn’t belong to them without the proper protocols that the task force is moving through the country and will continue to demolish areas that seem necessary”