Alleged drug trafficker ordered to hospital
ALLEGED international narcotics trafficker, Jeffrey Lewis, 78, who is reportedly afflicted by a series of illnesses, including obesity, was yesterday ordered to hospital for treatment.
Lewis, who was taken into custody last Thursday, was appearing before Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court, alongside his 30-year-old son Gareth Lewis, who was also taken into custody on drug trafficking charges.
The elder Lewis was said to suffer from a series of illnesses, including high blood pressure, chronic bronchitis with a persistent cough, recurring dizzy spells, swollen ankles and suffers leg pains after walking short distances. A medical report on him also indicated that he had been blind for the past seven years, and was unable to feed himself or manage his personal hygiene without assistance.
Lewis’ attorney, Frank Phipps noted the ailments to RM Martin Gayle, in effort to secure bail for his client but the application was denied on grounds that the case file was incomplete.
Gayle subsequently ordered that the old man be transferred from the Horizon Adult Remand Centre to a Corporate Area hospital for proper treatment of his ailments. He will remain under 24-hour police guard until the next hearing of the matter, which is scheduled for September 4.
His son, who was also said to be suffering from several illnesses, including hypertension and asthma, was also remanded until then.
On several occasions in the past, both men who were involved in the maritime business, allegedly met ships out at sea where they would off-load cocaine, coming mainly from Colombia. The duo would then, according to court documents, transport the drugs by sea to the coasts of North and South America, and to other areas, from where it would be sent to the United States.
They were arrested last week, following police raids on eight locations in the corporate area and Manchester. The police operation also formed part of a regional effort to combat drug trafficking, with similar operations carried out in countries of South America and the United States simultaneously.
