MONTEGO BAY, St James — One of two government employees detained at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay last month following the seizure of 20.5 pounds of cocaine has been released on bail.

Trevon Clayton, an employee of the St Ann Municipal Corporation, was granted $1 million bail with up to three sureties when he appeared before the St James Parish Court on Wednesday. The ruling followed submissions from his attorney, Henry McCurdy. Clayton was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and report to a designated police station on specified days, with a stop order imposed to prevent him from leaving the country.

His co-accused, Latoya Hemmings of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, remains before the court after her $750,000 bail was extended to March 4, when the matter is scheduled to resume.

Both are charged under the Dangerous Drugs Act after they were allegedly intercepted at the airport on January 16 while attempting to board a flight to New York.

Police report that during routine security checks, the pair were stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of packages of cocaine in their respective suitcases.

They were taken into custody, and Clayton reportedly admitted to swallowing cocaine pellets. He was transported to hospital, where authorities say he later expelled 82 pellets containing the drug.

The police also said a follow-up search of his Trelawny home uncovered an additional pellet containing approximately one ounce of cocaine.