19 Britons in drug bust
MONTEGO BAY — Thirty-eight suitcases containing $17.22-million worth of ganja and hash oil were seized and 19 British nationals arrested in Montego Bay late Tuesday evening.
The group of 11 men and eight women, who were booked on an Air 2000 charter flight from Montego Bay into London’s Gatwick Airport, will face the Montego Bay courts today to answer drug charges in connection with the 1,722-pound seizure.
A police spokesman told the Observer last night that all 19 were part of a team that attempted to smuggle drugs out of the island.
Between 22 and 27 packages of the contraband were found in each suitcase, along with either foam or a few pieces of clothing. Five and a half pounds were in the form of hash oil.
According to the police, after the British nationals each checked in two pieces of designer luggage, a sniffer dog alerted the police, the suitcases were searched and the contraband discovered.
“They were charged for possession of, dealing in and taking steps to export ganja,” said Peter Salkey of the Constabulary Communication Network.
They are:
* Carina Bogle,19;
* Kelly Ann Page, also 19;
* Sapphire Johnson, 21;
* Anthony Ramchaitar Smith, 22;
* Nathan Gordon, 24;
* Joseph Salmon, also 24;
* Dean Shaw, 26;
* Natasha Campbell, also 26;
* Khalis Erskine, 29;
* Lawrence Edit, 30;
* Christopher Paul, 38;
* Michael Christian, 40;
* Derrick Chambers, also 40;
* Angella George, 41;
* Murlene Johnson, 42;
* Yvonne Roberts, 42;
* Rennick Gregory, 46;
* Doreen Whitton, 48, and
* Eric Wright, also 48.
According to the latest statistics supplied by the Area One narcotics police, 1,264 persons were arrested for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act across the parishes of St James, Trelawny and Westmoreland between January and October of this year. Of that number, 263 were picked up at the Sangster International Airport.
Of the 1,771 drug arrests that were made in Area One last year, 336 were at the airport.
A total of 932 kilograms of ganja, 2,444 kilos of cocaine and 475 kilograms of hash oil has been seized during the first 10 months of this year in the three western parishes, while last year 4,353.5 kilos of ganja and 2,465.5 kilos of cocaine were seized.
IonScan machines were installed at the island’s two international airports earlier this year, in an attempt to discourage drug smuggling. According to the Area One narcotics police, a number of arrests were made in the first week after the machine was installed at the Sangster International Airport. There was a lull as word of the equipment got out, but there has been increased activity over the past three weeks.
A total of 54 swallowers were arrested between June and November 20, with 12 in the month of October alone. Three were caught last weekend and are now at the Cornwall Regional Hospital. Another swallower was picked up at the airport Tuesday evening while the 19 British nationals were being arrested.