A Polish citizen was Thursday sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to several drug-related charges in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

He was also ordered to pay $395,100 in fines or spend an additional six months behind bars.

Francisek Mazurkiewicz, who gave his address to the police as 12 Grove Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, London England, pleaded guilty to the charges of possession of 33 lbs of ganja, dealing in ganja and taking preparatory steps to export ganja.

Mazurkiewicz was ordered by presiding magistrate Martin Gayle to pay $15,000 for the charge of possession of ganja, $114,600 for the charge of dealing in ganja, and $265,500 for taking steps to export ganja. Each charge also carries a six-month prison stint if the fines are not paid.

Additionally, Mazurkiewicz was sentenced to 18 months in prison at hard labour by RM Gayle for the offences.

If Mazurkiewicz fails to pay the fines, each of the six-month prison terms are to run concurrently, but consecutive to the 18-month prison term. Mazurkiewicz is also to be deported after serving time behind bars.

According to court documents, on September 6, the Polish citizen checked into the Norman Manley International Airport to board a flight destined for London. He was stopped and searched and a grey suitcase he was carrying was found to contain a false compartment, which had several parcels of ganja wrapped in brown masking tape.

Mazurkiewicz was subsequently arrested and charged.