PORT-AU-PRINCE (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Monday warned regional leaders that they need to adopt "urgent and drastic action" to deal with the scourge of transnational crime in the Caribbean.

Addressing the leaders at the 24th intersessional summit here, Persad-Bissessar, who has lead responsibility for security within the quasi-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Cabinet, said, "I fear we have found ourselves in a very serious situation and we are running out of time as the scourge of transnational crime is slowly taking over the region.

"The time has come, colleagues, for urgent and drastic action. Globalisation has caused us to redefine the concept of national security," she told the meeting that is also being attended by United States Attorney General Eric Holder.

Crime and security is a major item to be considered by the leaders, and a CARICOM Secretariat statement said the "discussions will be taking place against a backdrop of high levels of crime in many of the member states, with the use of firearms being of particular concern".