Authorities seize over $½M of ganja in two weeks

| 06/07/2018 | 42 Comments
Cayman News Service

Some of the ganja recovered by the Joint Task Force over the past two weeks

(CNS): Local law enforcement authorities have seized nearly 700lbs of ganja, worth more than half a million dollars on the street, and arrested seven people over the last two weeks in joint operations at sea. The Joint Task Force of police and customs officers is having a marked impact on drug smuggling, which is increasingly accompanied with the importation of illegal guns and people trafficking. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said the recent interdictions showed what can happen with inter-departmental cooperation.

“We are committed to working with our partner agencies to target and prosecute those who continue to import and deal in illicit drugs, which results in all forms of criminality throughout the island,” he added.

Collector of Customs Charles Clifford said the closer cooperation between police and customs was yielding consistent results. “These latest operations are examples of how, working together, we are disrupting criminal enterprises in drug dealing, gambling and other illegal activities around the islands with increasing frequency,” he added.

The recent haul came from two major operations. The first was on 19 June, when a vessel carrying drugs near Smith Barcadere in South Sound was intercepted; five local men were arrested and 467lbs of ganja recovered. One of the men has now been charged with possession of ganja with intent to supply. He remains in custody on remand.

Then on Saturday, 23 June, a boat carrying drugs was stopped off the coast of East End; two Bodden Town men were arrested and 222lbs of ganja recovered. Both men were charged with being concerned in the importation of ganja and related offenses. They have been remanded in custody.

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Comments (42)

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  1. Mr. Against Ganja says:

    You ganja lovers are equally responsible for the guns coming in on these ganja boats and end up stuck in hard working small business owners face in arm robberies and has also left many mothers without sons. When will you understand that with drug dealers comes the gun. That’s their rule as there is no court to adjudicate their squabbles. It has also encouraged laziness as the young people can sell and live monthly off 20- 50 pounds of ganja. Keep up the pressure RCIPS on keeping our borders safe from these damn drug and firearms smugglers. I would also suggest to have a look at why mental health issues in cayman is on the rise beyond anything seen previously. My bet it’s because of starting weed at a young age. It’s proven that the development of young minds/ brain is inhibited by the smoking of ganja/weed. Believe me I know as it personally impacted my parents having seen my own brother’s mind destroyed by age 30 and dead by age 40 and spoken to many other families experiencing the same thing. Stop this nonsense of advocating for legalization of ganja!

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Half a Mil for that vegetable matter resembling elephant dung, who are these RCIPS jokers kidding? Another self gratification exercise in futility for our hyper zealous coppers.

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  3. WaYaSay says:

    Wa the Policeman a say…….”Ta rass man, what you a do with 1,000 Lbs. a ganga inna you boat partner;
    you mus be fool-fool a have 900 Lbs. a ganja just a out here in de open like dat;
    It don’t matter how much ganja you a smoke, sir, no man can smoke 800 Lbs. a ganja by himself.”

    “Look ya Junior Officer, try gather up that 700 Lbs. a ganja and put it inna de truck and take it to de evidence container while I take this rass a station and lock him up far importing all this 700 Lbs. a ganja”.

    “Ta rass………. dese eejiots a try ta flood we market!”

    I applaud RICPS for it’s recent success with their gun amnesty, and give them credit for their success here, however, success at what……… stopping someone from breaking the law by smoking a ganja spliff in the privacy of their homes?
    Come on man, spread these resources around and stop the petty theft and armed robberies going around Cayman.
    Ganja arrests should be way down on the priority list.

    That is all I am saying!!!!!

    WaYaSay

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  4. Anonymous says:

    1/2 million?! The RCIP are inflating that estimate way too much. That looks like pure Reggie Bush lol!

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  5. Anonymous says:

    What a pity.

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  6. Sigh says:

    This island is filled with and ran by too many ignorant blinded elders with a false sense of what is right or ‘christian’ to ever legalize this plant. It’s honestly the most moronic, anti societal growth idea that exists. Marijuana is healthier, cheaper and an ant to an elephant in terms of danger when compared to alcohol. I know it will never happen now because the former physically don’t have the ability to expand their thinking but I hope that a generation or two from now the people coming into power actually think about things and don’t just agree with what their papa told them 200 years ago.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    The drug problem and prison population will only get worse as long as drugs are tobacco continue to be avallable to guards and prisoners in Northward.

    Govt authorities allow drugs and tobacco to be used in Norhward too keep them “calm”!

    The more drugs govt captures the more for prisoners.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Thankfully that brown sh*t didnt touch the street, you wouldnt make it to work or school with that in your system lol

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  9. It's time says:

    Legalize it!!!

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  10. Anonymous says:

    1/2 million lost from the economy

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Pointless but okay then…claps for doing ya jobs mates. Ill light one that made it through just now mate!!

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  12. Shhhhhhhhhh. says:

    Great results. Let us hope this level of success is maintained and we will likely see a reduction in the flow of illegal firearms as well as hard drugs into Cayman. I suspect this is intelligence led work. Keep it up Customs, and Drug Task Force Marine Unit.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Unfortunately the opposute will happen.
      By taking weed of the street you create supply and demand problem. Less weed means higher prices. The higher the price the more interesting for criminals to get involved.
      Legalize the stuff so you take it out of the criminal environment, where the sellers also push users to hard drugs.

      Before I forget, god or church has nothing to do with this.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Guns, ammo, fugitives, and also drugs. Of these, it’s all of the human cargo we most need to be worried about.

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  13. Diogenes says:

    Good job keeping Cayman safe from… cannabis
    as the world legalizes Cayman seems to be keeping up appearances as the backward-assed hermit kingdom we seem to aspire to be

    as we import cigarettes and alcohol (the single deadliest and most destructive drug in human history by far) which can be bought in almost endless quantities without real restriction by literally anyone

    But this facade of concerns over public health and safety is nowhere to be found when the 200th drunk driver of the year is arrested,
    The actual substance with a long and storied history of destroying lives is perfectly legal and the plant is banned because it makes you feel funny and makes you consume a feast sized portion of snacks

    I laugh when I think of the hypocrisy of these islands sometimes

    Diogenes

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    • Anonymous says:

      i fully agree.

    • Anonymous says:

      On point bobo, Cayman is an Island of hypocrites!!!

      • Jg says:

        Please be quiet, you sound very unintelligent as if there is some utopia out there with no hypocrites.

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    • Spokentruth says:

      Ok shut up everyone! Now that I have your attention, I’ll give you the solutions for all the problems we face with ganja (cannabis, weed, pot, herb, maryjane, marijuana, natural plant, spliff, reefer, blunt, joint, etc.), Tobacco, alcohol and hard drugs (of all sorts and variations)…first we shall legalize ganja (blah,blah,blah)!! And tax the hell out of it with import duties, dealer and consumer licenses (which can be Incorporated along with your driver’s license and taxed the same time but a little higher), put prohibitions such as no public consumption, portion control either in your home or in your possession and then if your underage child(ren) (they must be over the age of 18 years) are caught using or out selling or sharing you are put in jail (Don’t worry, according to most opinions, you will get it in prison, you just can’t have everything else you have outside the prison walls) if they are caught in any illegal activity (robbery, stealing, out pass curfew, being a public nuisance, fighting, etc.), failing or skipping school you are publicly flogged/caned, if you are caught with any amount over the controlled amount or your license not renewed, then you are heavily fined, if your dealer’s license is not up to date your heavily fined, put in prison for a short term and your supply on hand sold off to the next dealer (for all the trouble caused; legal fees, having to arrest you, incarceration costs,etc.)
      Then all the bars will be shut down (too bad for the sex trade coming out of them or the free sex available from the bar tenders), ban alcohol, tobacco and hard drugs of all sorts (punishable by automatic rehab imprisonment of no less than 3 months), alcohol/tobacco/ illicit drugs/firearms traffickers out to long prison terms with hard labour or removal of the right hand.
      These I figure should help with a lot of social ills this backward hypocritical, “Christian” moronic Island and it’s ppl living here have:
      1) No Mental health issues bcus ganja is a natural healing herb with no illicit substances in it
      2) More parents will be at home with their children, taking better care of them bcus they will be so mellow and in control of their ill tempers or not high on hard drugs abandoning them for the streets, bars or clubs for sex, money and alcohol
      3) The future of the youths will be brighter bcus Moms and Dads will make sure they attending school and doing well bcus they will be flogged/ caned publicly, if they’re not
      4) No more delinquent juveniles bcus both parents will be at home with the children, after they’ve got their buzz on, will spend quality time with them eating breakfast, dinner, lunch and snacks
      5) No more drunk drivers (which I’d love to see anyhow, bcus there are already idiot dreamers with the license to kill operating a car, they don’t need alcohol to impair them further
      6) No more alcohol induced domestic violence, bcus they are too mellowed out by the weed to fight, instead they’ll be making/showing love
      7) No more paranoid crack heads robbing you blind or raiding your fruit trees and crack babies born
      8) No more need for firearms and ammunition amnesty, bcus the ppl will be to mellowed out, to go about shooting and killing
      9) No more human trafficking
      10) No more Lung, Throat or Mouth/Lip Cancers or liver/kidney/heart disease bcus of tobacco using or second hand smoke and alcoholism
      11) Plenty more productivity from everyone, bcus weed makes you want to work harder, longer; it dulls pain and you become more creative and innovative (only in adults I have been told by an avid frequent user)
      12) Raise in the birth rate and a decrease in the death rate of the Country
      13) Rastafarianism will have just as much rights in this Country as the Gays, Lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and queers does! Praise Jah
      14) and last but not least; the Politicians, movers & shakers, powers-that-be will not be having such a glorious time doing nothing but running their mouths, making promises they can’t keep or wasting time doing absolutely nothing productive for the Caymanian ppl, just to jump on a plane in the name of “doing something for the sake of the betterment for the Islands” or running off to the bar rooms to get intoxicated and indulge in the readily available sex and drugs there
      That’s my solutions, I hope I didn’t bore anyone with my long input to our dilemma of the social ills and unacceptance of the greatness of Marijuana/Ganja (be it Economically, Therapuetically, Socially, Emotionally, Spiritually or Medically)

      Anyways, Jah bless the Cayman Islands and our ppl, bring healing to our nation, Oh Jehovah, Lion of Judah our conquering lion and Saviour!! Bless up my ppl, free yourselves of this mental slavery and connect to the Spiritual High Priest, Jah!!

  14. Anonymous says:

    Are these the same “Authorities” that managed to lose drugs and motorcycles locked up in their own compound?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Just legalise it, and charge import duty. Raise income, stop criminalising people, and keep money out of the hands of organised crime.
    Most countries are working this out, we shouldn’t lag behind.

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    • Anonymous says:

      not likely here with the local morons in charge….
      remember we can even buy groceries on sunday.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    These are startling numbers only in that this seems to be a renewed police activity. The DEA regularly reports Billions of dollars in northbound commercial product transiting our waters monthly. RCIPS’s interdiction and recovery focus is necessarily only on small-time, low-tech local traffickers. It should be easy to intercept this amateur traffic, and challenge the purpose of all nocturnal boaters within our terririal waters with the use of simple radar technology. It requires a functional, fully-staffed, trained, armed, joint marine unit, with cooperation from other regional agencies, and a will to action targets sourced from their patrolling hardware. We should also know by now that the circle of trust needs to be kept much smaller than it has been in the past given some of our MLAs are sympathetic to the opposition.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    You’re never going to run out of Jamaicans in Westmoreland making 2 usd/hour who are desperate to make a quick $1000. “load this boat up, point her east, and go. $500 when you go, $500 when you get back.”
    The street value is a good number to boast but in reality the money is sent off first, not sent back.. A lb on the street is 10x the price when it lands versus when it’s ordered. This is why so many busts can happen yet it seems like the attempts don’t stop. Yea the drug lords lost some money, but they make it back easily. Not to mention, that parish’s main industry is agriculture lol.

    We’re spending tons of resources prohibiting a natural plant yet we display machineel and tax tobacco cigarettes. Legalize, regulate and tax growing and selling of Cannabis in the Cayman Islands to remove the incentive to smuggle it here along with weapons. Take the drug lord’s profit and send it to our coffers instead of spending to prevent what will happen anyway.

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  18. Some countries have all the luck says:

    I am not advocating a nation of stoned Muppets but if we are allowed to drink responsibly then we should be allowed to smoke. Shame when you consider the many opportunities including to the caymanian farmer, unemployable and tourism.

    This move could further reallocate and generate funds to necessary social efforts. The policing value are many and could strengthen the relationship between community and law enforcement.

    We can all be hopeful to soon see the day

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Legalise it!

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Ughhhh just legalize it!

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  21. V says:

    Government doesn’t care about marijuana use, it only cares about where people are buying it from.

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  22. Anon says:

    How can they frequently seize weed but rarely recover cocaine??????????

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Why dont we do what Canada has just done, legalize and tax it it. Jails not overcrowded, less guns on the street and more money for Government.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    1500 regular users at an ounce a week, that’s a two months supply!

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