KINGSTON, Jamaica — Two brothers were granted bail of $500,000 each when they appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday to answer to charges related to their possession of over $1 million in Apple products.

The siblings, who are brothers by adoption, were arrested in York Plaza following a report from a potential customer who alerted the police.

Upon the arrival of the cops, the men reportedly claimed to be legitimate business owners operating an online store and presented a receipt book. However, the lawmen deemed the receipts illegible, and they were taken into custody having not sufficiently proven they procured the items legally.

Of the 11 devices seized, the oldest was an iPhone XR and the newest, was an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Appearing in court on Tuesday, the two men were accompanied by their father, a police officer of over 30 years.

Arguing their case, their attorney explained that the men had been running an online business reselling devices for over five years and never had a run in with the law. The two highlighted their Instagram page, with over 16 thousand followers, as proof of their legitimacy.

However, presiding Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell pointed out that a legitimate business should be able to produce receipts to prove the lawful purchase of goods.

Through their attorney, the men indicated they had some proof of purchase having procured the items through eBay and local resale but were unable to provide such as they had been in custody the entire time.

On that note, Judge Burrell warned them to be careful about where they sourced phones for resale.

“Are they aware that they should exercise caution in purchasing from the thieving public?” Burrell questioned, referring to criminals who stole phones in hopes of padding them off for resale.

With proof that the business was registered with the Companies Office of Jamaica, the men were granted bail at $500,000 each.

— Dana Malcolm