900lbs of ganja seized from armed smugglers
Boat seized by the JMU, 18 March 2019
(CNS) UPDATED: Three Jamaican men have been charged with importation of ganja and other serious offences after an ocean chase and a massive drug haul seizure, Monday. One of the men has also been charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent, and a reckless and negligent Act, while another has been charged with making a threat to kill. The charges all stem from the record breaking drug interdiction off the coast of East End.
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service recovered around US$1 million worth of ganja after the water pursuit early Monday morning. Although the helicopter is grounded, officers in the RCIPS Joint Marine Unit on patrol spotted the suspicious vessel about eleven miles off the coast of Grand Cayman. When the boat refused to stop, the marine unit chased it for “an extended period in open waters”, the RCIPS said. As they pursued the boat, the smugglers on the boat began throwing packages overboard, as one of them brandished a gun at the police.
In response, one of the officers fired a service weapon, hitting and disabling the boat, which allowed officers to recover the vessel and arrest the three men on board.
Drug packages recovered by the RCIPS Joint Marine Unit after the pursuit
Police said that they recovered a large amount of the packages containing the drugs and saw the firearm that had been pointed at them, as well as other smaller items that also appeared to be guns, all being thrown overboard.
According to the police, this is the largest seizure of drugs in the Cayman Islands in the last ten years and has an estimated street value of over CI$800,000.
The three men on board the vessel, all Jamaican nationals, aged 66, 44 and 43, were arrested on suspicion of drug and firearm offences. The boat, drugs and men are all now in police custody and the three suspects were due to appear in court Wednesday.
The comment by the police of the biggest load in a decade unfortunately is a sad reminder and indictment of those at the very top.The previous organization the DTF which was dismantled for some odd reason had far greater success and with less equipment to do it. The real shame and proof of this statement is the level of gun violence and murders we see to today in these islands .Yet they now boast of a virtual drop in the well . Well done to all officers involved in this endeavor to stop the flow of drugs and weapons to this island and for doing their jobs everyday. Great news about our new helicopter and hopefully the new Coast Guard and Coastal radar which are long overdue.
Go check the news reports from a decade ago and tell me if gun crime is worse now.
You know what happened when alcohol was illegal? A lot of responsibile adults were denied their freedom of choice, billionaire black market drug lords were created, corruption of politicians was bought through that money, many lives were ruined through jail, then they eventually legalized it again.
The war on cannabis is pointless if we’re allowing a tobacco cigar rolling farm in the heart of Bodden Town.
ITS SO FUNNY, THAT YOU DONT HEAR THE JMU OR RCIPS putting this much energy into cocaine. YOU only ever hear about cocaine when it washes up, or some tourist finds it on the beach, but AMAZINGLY none of the JMU or RCIPs can find cocaine smugglers on the ocean or even the airport … so who is smuggling cocaine? cause its in CAYMAN by high numbers …
Yea Ganja should be allowed in, Cocaine is what the goverments like thou.
ugh, just legalize it and the people with guns won’t exist to bring it in.
Too many Jamaicans here period
What happened to the high ranging white collar individual who allegedly had a heap of drugs. No one should be above the law.
Is he in northward awaiting trial?
Cant wait for the excuse when the police station holding area gets “robbed” again next week
Brave officers thank you very much. A world class effort.
Glad to know where police priorities are set, don’t worry about about all the coke that business suits do, we gotta break down on these 14 year olds smoking in their backyards!
So the police should ask the canoes what they are carrying first, then let the ones that just have ganga go but stop the ones with coke? And lets just forget about the firearms on the boat as well, right? This is not a bust of a 14 year old with a spliff – its a bust of organised criminals prepared to use violent means so they can sell their drugs to 14 year olds. You are throwing the rocks at the wrong target.
parents should deal with their 14 year olds so these cops don’t have to first and foremost. its all down to parenting again.
Stupid comment.
Government has a plan at least from the coast guard standpoint which is progressing quite nicely. However we appear to have a number greedy politicos and their minions now trying to get their greedy little hands on contracts to do a radar system for all three islands. The coast guard is looking at acquiring the very best equipment from a very reliable provider thank goodness and not buying junk from the powers that be along with their even greedier middlemen! Yes Cayman we must not let ourselves be ripped off yet again like we were with this elaborate Camera system we have in place.
They need to find out who they were bring it for and arrest them too! never heard of them doing that before please we need good investigators and not all these people from the same place the smuggler’s are from that thinks its not a problem doing these investigations they will protect there own just to take over this place, oh sorry my bad they already have that’s why were turning into them.
You are right on.gee 5.24am.. I have asked quite a few times in the past the same question “who are they bringing it for “ no answer – not one word and totally no investigation. Boy we got a mess! Who you say “run things”????? I know we need som serious intervention.
dam right but theirs still hope! if we as in us true Caymanian’s stick together they can stand to see it burns them bad, but we need to get to the true source. 11:28
7.21pm Trues source?, try some true Caymanians.
Hey, 7:21am. Can you count how many “true Caymanian” in foreign prisons for drug offenses? Careful, people in glass houses should not throw stones.
They do it, YOU as the public will never hear of it in the press/news because WE as custom officers and police officers have to remain anonymous for safety reasons. WE also don’t let the press know because it’s either an on going investigation and or only need to know basis. WE do sting operations and we also go undercover to catch these guys. There’s many things the public doesn’t know about, but we as officers have a oath that we sign on our first day. “What you see and what you do, you can’t speak of” it’s a secrecy declaration. There’s allot of things that go down in cayman and also allot US customs and police officers also lend a helping hand in with (DEA and FBI) BUT the press and news don’t know and will probably never know of. Some operations take 3 years to build some even longer. But WE try our best to get the ones behind it as the best way we can and the best lawful and legally way doing so. If you don’t believe me go look at the show called “Deep undercover, episode 2 ‘operation cayman’ of season 1” on Netflix.
“we as officers have a oath that we sign on our first day. “What you see and what you do, you can’t speak of” it’s a secrecy declaration”
And that’s why corruption is rampant in that sector of work.
You mean not from Jamaica gee…?
Agree with you let’s say it like it is , because it certainly is like you say.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6828163/Powerful-skunk-cannabis-raises-psychosis-risk-five-fold-study-reveals.html
Correlation does not imply causation. There is a link doesn’t mean it causes it. If a rise in cheese sales also saw a rise in divorces, could you imply that more cheese = more divorces?
Besides, anyone with underlying psychological problems can and will have psychotic responses to any drug, even alcohol or ‘harmless’ drugs you get at big pharmacy.
Even scarier than that…
https://youtu.be/sKMWOVPQ8tk
We really have no idea what pesticides are being sprayed on the cannabis crops that come to this island.
Is this pesticide concern also relevant to the marijuana oil being imported into the Cayman Islands or, is this only strictly related to the black market marijuana?
Auntie?
Regulated medical cannabis is tested for residuals. If standards are not met the cannabis is not sold on the regulated market. Hence why regulation is the way to go.
None of that stuff is around here. Try again.
Well somebodeee lickle illegal gun business and hitman got jammed up aaaah boy that’s how it goes sometimes eh ricket and nats that’s what happens when you plot evil against others.
Give credit where credit is due, well done JMU.
Firearms were seen being dumped overboard! All the comments from the ganja fans in here seem to be focused on the ganja and not the fact that these ganja boats are bringing guns, killing our youths destroying families and to top it off trying to harm our brave officers defending our open marine borders. Such a shame reading these comments. Well done JMU from all law abiding citizens and thank you for your bravery under such stressful conditions. Keep it up and be safe out there!
That’s why it should be legalized.. 900 lbs is a huge demand. The local king pins pay a few hundred dollars each to sponsor a shipment. You can keep busting them but their profits are barely harmed as one successful round means profit to cover 20 busts.
Legalize, regulate and tax/duty cannabis like the USA and Canada. Why can I smoke nicotine laced tobacco on government compounds and government time but can’t legally grow a plant that is recognized LOCALLY for its medical oil?
Legalize weed and the boats will still come bringing guns and cocaine. Should we legalize them too?
Weed is obviously their main revenue source if they brought 900 lbs of it and not 900 lbs of guns and coke. Grow the supply locally and these shipments wouldn’t have the million dollar incentive behind them to happen in the first place. The coke and guns are brought along for the journey as a bonus.
You obviously have no idea how many people on this island shovel coke up their noses. It’s everywhere!
Actually this is false, ganja/weed/Mary Jane, is the highest demanding so called drug in the Cayman Islands. Drug smugglers will bring in 2 kilos of cocaine with 20 kilos of ganja, yes there is demand but not a high demand. Yes there is people that shovel coca up there nose BUT not the amount of marijuana tookers.
Yes actually, that’s what the evidence says works, but we’ll start with weed.
YES! Focus on drug addiction treatment and legalize all drugs. I take drugs like a champ, why isn’t that fine in the privacy of my own home or a bar with the other legal drug in liquid form being sold anyway. Regulation.
Control the supply by selling Caymanians growing licenses and take back the money! Why allow drug lords to profit from the black market we created through laws in the 70s while we spend money to lock up people for a medical plant and can’t even grow it like how we can grow tobacco?
9.47pm legalize you say.. not going to happen Bo Bo.. too deep and too big. Like… too many big wigs holding the strings…
The trip wouldn’t be worth the risk without the profit from the cannabis
Legalize and regulate cannabis to eliminate the black market and the gun smuggling will end as well
No one is ever caught just bringing in a boatload of guns its either guns + drugs or just drugs
We don’t have the resources to effectively screen our entire coastline
The obvious solution is ending the nonsensical war on drugs
Bring back corporal punishment
The only effect this action will have is an increase in the price of weed.
Dumb Christian culture.
Not to mention putting users through pointless withdrawal. Expect any smokers in your life to become cranky pretty soon.
The Island would be fine without marijuana. It’s the alcohol and opioid users that would crank harder than anyone else if they couldn’t get their fix. We should stop all forms of drugs from entering the Island to stop being such hyprocrites then, we’ll see who the real cranky drug heads are.
I am glad the police chased them and took the drugs away. This is going to be the new normal. The CIG really need to set up the Coast Guard as soon as possible. I haven’t heard any mentioned of it recently. If money is the issue forget the port and spend the money in securing our Islands.
Nice work RCIP, however can you please also let us know how much drugs were recovered from the recent “recovered drugs” in Breakers.
9.09pm… too funny. That has been one of the biggest joke in Cayman. Where did it go??? And Here again who was it consigned to??? Really not funny … really sad.
Tell MAC and ALDEN to Claw back from DART the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in SUBSIDIES government has allowed DART to get.
This will give government the money needed to finance governance of these Islands.
$$ Watcher.
9:12pm, they are too busy tightening the screw on the locals and giving Dart subsidies to eliminate the poorer class. When will the madness stop? The locals need subsidies to grow their businesses. Why should millionaires/billionaires have it all?
5.36am I agree, sussidise the locals to grow ganja, this will stop the flow of Jamaicans entering the country illegally.
Is it true Darts don’t pay planning fees, work permit fees , business license fees?
Excellent comment 3:04 pm
What law were these people breaking? Cayman Islands law does not apply outside of the three mile territorial waters.
wow, idiot.
international waters are free from law…unless being pursued by the said locations authorities…
5:31 pm, you need to get your facts and figures right.
It is 12 miles same as all countries in the world.
International Waters are not lawless and technically begin 12 miles offshore. In the Cayman Islands, the Territorial Waters extend further east because of the separation of sister islands. There are also international laws beyond our waters that apply in regards to smuggling, transshipment, per international treaties. Solicitation can also be used as grounds for determining jurisdiction.
Good job.
They should check the boat, maybe tests one of those that was stolen sometime ago.
Well done RCIPS!
No, no. This should be legal.
Who is the rich buyer?
Legalize it and this will stop. Imagine a world where everyone is turning legalizing its use medicinal and recreational and cayman is posting headlines about “drug” bust. We so behind times
boo!
How is it legal for the RCIPS to pursue these boats in international waters?
Can someone please follow up on this, I’m curious myself as to how.
Yes.
Cayman waters extends to 12 miles from shore and i think to 50 miles fishing rights
Do try to read – “eleven miles off the coast of Grand Cayman” – that’s in our territorial waters.
11 miles out at sea aren’t international waters…
The same way the us coast gaurd can
RCIPS said 11 miles, suuurrreee. If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.
Thank god the drugs are now in police custody where they can be distributed or stolen among friends.
lmfaoo!
oh man, i with you on this one!!!