Jamaicans deny smuggling cocaine or gun

Jamaican canoe interdicted by the RCIPS on 2 March 2018

(CNS): Three Jamaican men have denied smuggling over 100 grammes of cocaine and a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver along with 49 rounds of ammunition. Fitzroy Ottey (41), Owen Reid (37) and Assad Walker (58) were arrested in March after the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Joint Marine Unit and the RCIPS helicopter intercepted the canoe in which they were travelling. When they appeared in court on Friday, all three men pleaded not guilty to importation of cocaine and two counts of possessing unlicensed firearms.

The men have already admitted smuggling over 300lbs of ganja but say they knew nothing about the gun or the cocaine, which police found hidden inside the large packages of ganja. The gun and drugs were recovered after the men threw the packages overboard as they were being pursued by the authorities.

After a trial was set for September, the three men, who have been on remand since their arrest in March, were again sent back to HMP Northward.