JAMAICA’S narcotics police have reported an increase in the trafficking of cocaine and ganja.

According to the police, cocaine weighing 31.2 kilogrammes, valued at $39.8 million, and ganja amounting to 4,395.84 kilogrammes, worth $8 million, have been seized between January 1 and February 21 this year.

Superintendent Jervis Moore, commanding officer of the Narcotics Division, told the Jamaica Observer that for the corresponding period last year the police seized 5.7 kilogrammes of cocaine and 2,105. 96 kilogrammes of ganja.

The police officer suggested that a more aggressive targeting of people involved in the international narcotics trade who use Jamaica as a transit point to get illegal drugs into North America has led to an increase in the number of seizures in cocaine and ganja.

“We have intensified our investigative activities and basically, we will be going at them; if you are in it, get out; and if you are considering it, don’t start,” Superintendent Moore warned.

The police, he said, have over the last few weeks arrested a number of people from the parish of Clarendon who were caught smuggling drugs into the island. At least three of the alleged drug traffickers, he said, are currently before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Asked if Clarendon was a major target of the Narcotic Division’s clampdown on the illegal trafficking of drugs, the police superintendent said, “At this point we are targeting certain citizens and our investigations are leading us into Clarendon. It it is believed that there are a number of drug-smuggling groups operating from that parish, but that is all I will say at this time as we are doing our investigations.”

Moore said there were a number of other parishes under the police’s radar. However, he declined to name them.

“Jamaica, based on how it is located geographically, is strategically placed as a trans-shipment point, so you find cocaine coming from South America comes through Jamaica on its way to North America and to England. Cocaine is usually in transit [as] it goes through other Caribbean islands sometimes, as well,” he explained.

However, as it relates to drug-smuggling groups that are operating from Jamaica and in other Caribbean islands, such as Trinidad, Superintendent Moore said while the police have made some arrests, they have not yet been able to dismantle the operation in those regions.

“We have arrested a number of persons in recent times and it has some connection to Trinidad, but we cannot say with any amount of certainty that we have dismantled the operation there, but we are still working on some other persons and trying to find out the extent of the syndicate…” he added.