ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – A 34-year-old farmer who previously pleaded guilty to breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act was fined more than $2 million when he appeared before the Manchester Parish Court on Friday.

Gavin Dennis of Schoolfield District, Malvern in St Elizabeth was slapped with the hefty fine by Senior Parish Court Judge John Tyme, following a December 22 incident in which 800 pounds of ganja was recovered from 24 knitted bags found in the pickup Dennis was driving. The discovery was made during a police operation in the New Forest district in Manchester.

Following a plea in mitigation by his attorney Thomas Levene on Friday, the judge agreed not to confine Dennis but instead imposed fines of $15,000 or 6 months for possession of ganja, $1 million or 12 months for dealing in ganja and $1 million or 18 months for trafficking ganja.

Dennis was given 60 days to make payment. If the fines aren’t paid within that time frame, Dennis will serve 18 months in prison.