MONTEGO BAY, St James — British resident Rachael Quayle, who is accused of attempting to export more than $45 million worth of cocaine from Jamaica, was again remanded when she appeared in the St James Parish Court on Tuesday because her surety was not present.

The 38-year-old is before the court on charges of possession, dealing in, attempting to export, and conspiracy, to export cocaine. She was arrested and charged after 21 pounds of cocaine was discovered in assorted food items in her luggage at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James.

During her bail submission, Quayle’s lawyer Precilla Jennings stated that the defendant has no criminal record and argued that people without narcotics training would not suspect the items based on their packaging.

“Based on how the items were packaged, a person who was not trained in narcotics would not automatically become suspicious of the items,” the attorney said, noting that women have been specifically targeted to take back items overseas.

“In my client’s case, she specifically asked someone to wash her clothes and the person said she would put some snacks in there for her [Quayle] children,” the attorney said.

She added that while at the lockup, her client consumed the banana chips that were also removed.

Jennings noted that the defendant had arranged for someone to post bail on her behalf, explaining that she had connected with an individual online prior to her visit to Jamaica and met him in person upon her arrival. This individual was unable to attend court due to alleged mechanical problems.

The court clerk indicated that, while the Crown does not object to granting of bail, they would strongly prefer that the individual be physically present in order to personally demonstrate their willingness to assume the role of surety and provide a verified address.

Presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton subsequently set the matter for mention on September 19 and remanded Quayle in custody.

Allegations are that on August 21, Quayle attempted to board a flight destined for the United Kingdom when her luggage was searched. During the search, 9.5 kilogrammes of cocaine were found concealed in an assortment of food items.

Quayle was taken into custody, and following further investigations, she was charged after being interviewed in the presence of her attorney.