Two granted bail in billion-dollar cocaine bust
Published:Wednesday | January 15, 2025 | 9:39 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
Two of five men implicated in the almost-$12-billion cocaine bust in Havendale, St Andrew, last August have been granted $3 million bail.
Junior Haldane, 72, and Aubrey Sterling were last month offered bail by Justice Leighton Pusey on condition to report three times per week and surrender their travel deposits, with stop orders in place at all ports.
The other three defendants – Clive Davis, 57; Collin Ricketts, 58; and Clayton Peart, 42 – were further remanded when they appeared in court yesterday.
The men, who are charged with possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking cocaine and conspiracy, are to return to court on January 28.
The defendants were arrested on August 6, 2024, when officers from the police’s Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division, accompanied by units from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch, raided the premises and seized several knitted bags containing cocaine.
Approximately 2,600 kilograms, or 5,569 pounds, of the drug, with a street value of US$75.79 million, was allegedly found during a three-hour operation.
The police were reportedly acting on information when they went to the premises as the men were allegedly in the process of loading a bus with the bags of cocaine.
Haldane and Sterling were reportedly seen behind the bus and accosted after they ran.
However, during last month’s bail application, lawyers for the two men denied their involvement.
Haldane’s lawyer, Lloyd McFarlane, submitted that his client had no knowledge of the drug and that his position close to the bus was not sufficient to ground the charge of drug possession. The lawyer also indicated that his client had medical issues and that there were concerns about his health.
Attorney-at-law Ludlow Black, for his part, told the court that Sterling, who is a taxi driver, had merely gone to the premises to do a drop-off when the police came and saw him.
The other three men were denied bail because of concerns that they were flight risks, along with the strength of the prosecution’s case.
Attorney-at-law Donahue Martin is representing Davis.
King's Counsel Tom Tavares Finson and Carole Phillips are representing Ricketts.
Attorney-at-law Tamika Dunbar is appearing for Peart.