Three charged after major ganja bust off Westmoreland coast
Published:Saturday | April 5, 2025 | 12:09 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Two Nicaraguans and a Jamaican man, who were arrested during a joint police-military operation off the coast of Westmoreland on March 31, have been formally charged following the seizure of 1,480 pounds (672.6 kilograms) of ganja.
According to reports, the vessel carrying the illicit cargo was intercepted by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard during a coordinated early morning operation.
At the time, police stated that the men were taken into custody after the ganja was discovered onboard. Following further investigations, they were all charged with drug smuggling and dealing in narcotics.
“The vessel was spotted during the early morning hours off the coastline and was intercepted and boarded by law enforcement personnel,” a police source told The Gleaner.
“During the search, the illicit drug was discovered, and the three men were arrested.”
The source added that the men are believed to be part of a transnational drugs-for-guns syndicate operating between Central and South America and Jamaica. “We believe this successful mission will deal a significant blow to their operations,” the source added.
Senior Superintendent Samuel Blake, head of the FNID, expressed satisfaction with the operation, noting that his team has been employing intelligence-driven strategies and partnering with other law-enforcement bodies to disrupt trafficking networks.
“This interdiction underscores the JCF’s expanding intelligence capabilities, enabling us to identify and relentlessly pursue organised crime actors involved in firearms and narcotics trafficking, regardless of their entry points,” said Blake.
He noted that the operation might have prevented the influx of multiple illegal firearms into Jamaica, including high-powered AK-47 rifles, as the syndicate is known to trade ganja for weapons.
In recent years, Jamaica’s south coast – particularly St Elizabeth and Westmoreland – has been a hotspot for drug trafficking due to its secluded shorelines, often concealed by dense vegetation.
In November 2021, security forces made one of the largest drug busts in recent memory when they seized cocaine valued at J$1 billion off the Black River coastline. Three fishermen – two from Westmoreland and one from St Elizabeth – were arrested in that incident.
In another case in 2018, a fisherman off the Whitehouse coastline in Westmoreland discovered a floating bucket containing a Smith & Wesson .40 calibre semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. He turned the find over to police upon returning to shore.