KINGSTON, Jamaica— Three Jamaicans indicted by US prosecutors in a multi-million dollar money laundering and drugs scheme have waived their rights to a hearing and will be extradited to the United States.

Saint Devon Anthony Cover, 58, Benjamin Afflick, 57, and Dennis Raymond Rowe, 57, were among 19 people arrested in the multi-country probe. The other arrests were made in Colombia and the US.

READ: Jamaicans among 19 indicted in international drug money laundering scheme

The three, all businessmen, were picked up on provisional warrants by police on Tuesday

US prosecutors alleged that the scheme involved moving millions of dollars in drug proceeds from Colombian cartels through US banks. The arrests resulted from a five-year investigation into a money laundering organisation in Colombia. Authorities say the organisation laundered at least $6 million through the US banking system.

Local authorities say the degrading of this money laundering/drug dealing organisation should disrupt drug activities impacting the region.

The scheme involved the use of so-called “peso brokers,” who agreed to give pesos to drug traffickers in exchange for the profits of US drug sales, Rollins said. Criminal associates would be handed drug money in suitcases or bags on the street, and then peso brokers deposited the funds into US banks, Massachusetts US Attorney Rachael Rollins said.

To make it appear like it was legitimate business activity, the money was deposited into bank accounts held by front companies and individuals or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts, officials said.

Nearly 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of seized cocaine — with a street value of more than US$90 million — have been traced back to the money laundering organisation, Rollins said.