MONTEGO BAY, St James — A woman allegedly found with 11.5 ounces of cocaine hidden in a suitcase she said her husband had given her recently appeared before the St James Parish Court on drug charges.

Lamiah Blackwood appeared on Wednesday before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, facing allegations of breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. She is being represented by attorney Donovan Collins.

According to court documents, the incident unfolded on March 19 at approximately 3:00 pm at Sangster International Airport. The investigating officer was conducting interviews and searches of passengers preparing to board a TUI flight bound for England when he approached Blackwood. After informing her of the intended search, she complied and indicated that she had packed the suitcase herself and was not transporting items on behalf of anyone else.

During the examination, the officer reportedly observed that the interior lining of the suitcase appeared unusually elevated. Further inspection revealed a concealed compartment with suspicious bulk.

Blackwood was subsequently escorted to the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) office, where she was cautioned. At that point, she stated that her husband had given her the suitcase earlier that morning after her original luggage became unusable.

The concealed compartment was later pierced, revealing a white powdery substance. A field test confirmed the presence of cocaine. Upon removing the compartment, officers reportedly discovered four rectangular packages. The substance was processed and tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of approximately 11 1/2 pounds.

Blackwood was arrested and formally charged.

After the allegations were outlined, the court was informed that several key documents remain outstanding, including the corroborating officer’s statement, the scene-of-crime report, and accompanying compact disc, question-and-answer records, and the forensic certificate.

The Crown strongly opposed bail, citing concerns that Blackwood does not reside in Jamaica and frequently travels between countries, raising the risk that she may abscond.

Attorney Suwayne Phillips, appearing in place of Collins, acknowledged the prosecution’s position but indicated that the defence intends to proceed with a bail application on April 1 when the matter is to be mentioned next.

Blackwood was remanded until then.

Also appearing before the court on drug charges last Wednesday was another passenger bound for England, Bernice Akon. Represented by attorney Shane Walker, Akon was arrested following an incident on March 12 at approximately 3:30 pm at the Sangster International Airport. She was reportedly in the process of checking in to board a TUI flight when the investigating officer began a search of her luggage.

During the inspection, cops observed that one suitcase felt unusually heavy after items were removed. Attention then shifted to a smaller suitcase, which appeared to have an unusual bulge at the side. According to the court account, the police man pierced the side of the suitcase, and a white powdery substance emerged. A field test was conducted and returned a positive result for cocaine.

Further checks led to another discovery. The smaller suitcase contained a black sealed parcel that had been moved to the base of the luggage. Once pierced, it also revealed a white powdery substance which tested positive for cocaine. In total, four parcels were found containing approximately 19 pounds of cocaine.

Akon was subsequently arrested and charged.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the clerk of court disclosed that the forensic certificate, the escort statement, the corroborating officer’s statement, the scene of crime CD and statement and a further statement from the investigating officer were outstanding.

The matter was set for mention on March 31, and Akon was remanded in custody.

Two more people caught allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine out of Jamaica are now before the St James Parish Court..