Police seize over 500lbs of ganja at sea

RCIPS Joint Marine Unit vessel

(CNS) UPDATED: Police have recovered several packages of ganja with a gross weight of 513lbs from the sea following an interdiction in the early hours of Friday morning (7 September). Officers with the Air Support Unit and and Joint Marine Unit were conducting border patrols east of Grand Cayman when they spotted a vessel acting suspiciously over 20 miles from shore. As they approached, officers on the boat saw the men on board throwing packages overboard. The boat was intercepted and all four men, who are Jamaican nationals aged 31, 32, 33 and 45, were taken into custody and have since been charged.

Meanwhile, police also made an early morning arrest in George Town on Friday shortly after 6am, when RCIPS and customs officers from the Joint Task Force conducted a raid under the misuse of drugs law, at an address off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. Police said an undisclosed quantity of cocaine and a significant amount of cash were recovered and seized. A 33-year-old man from George Town was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply he too has been charged.

The four Jamaican nationals have been charged with the importation of ganja while the George Town man now faces charges of consuming, possessing and intending to supply cocaine. All of them were due to appear in summary court Monday.

Police are asking anyone who may have information about the boat which was intercepted or about the people on island who may have been meeting this vessel to contact the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided to the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via the RCIPS website. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online here.