MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A boat captain was on Wednesday fined a total of $2,015,000 in the Manchester Parish Court for smuggling ganja.

Richard Lindo was arrested and charged after the vessel he and two men were traveling in was intercepted by the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard on September 21, 2021, off the coast of Manchester and 1,680 pounds of ganja seized in 38 knitted bags.

Throughout the course of the proceedings, the other two occupants of the vessel, Lloyd Bennett and Kayega James, absconded bail.

Lindo pleaded guilty on September 22 of this year to possession, dealing and trafficking ganja.

On Wednesday, he was fined $15,000 or six months imprisonment for possession of ganja, $1 million or two years for dealing in ganja and $1 million or two years for trafficking ganja.

Lindo was represented by attorney Thomas Levene.

Meanwhile, the person who stood as surety for Bennett was taken into custody before being offered bail. Bennett had previously pleaded guilty and should have appeared on Wednesday for sentencing, but his attorney informed the court that information was that Bennett had left the island and is in custody in the Cayman Islands. The person who stood as surety was offered bail in the sum of half a million dollars and to report to the Pedro Plains police station weekly. The surety is to return to court on December 9.