Sea search on for suspect ganja smuggler

(CNS): The Cayman Islands Coast Guard is searching for a man who jumped overboard last night from a suspected ganja canoe that had been under pursuit two miles off the coast of East End. A release from the RCIPS said that at around 11:30pm Tuesday, the coast guard had come across the suspicious boat and saw two people jump into the sea, taking packages with them.

The team was able to rescue one of the men after he had drifted away from the suspicious vessel but they were unable to find the second person who they had also seen go overboard.

With deteriorating weather conditions and wells of seven to nine feet every five seconds, the CICG vessel was forced to seek safe harbour to protect the crew and the man who had been rescued, as well as two other men who had remained on the suspicious boat and had subsequently been detained. During the search and rescue operation several packages were recovered from the vessel containing what officers believed to be a significant quantity of ganja.

The search for the missing man resumed early Wednesday, and the RCIPS and CICG continue with both sea and shoreline searches, assisted by the police helicopter. The RCIPS is also asking the public to help locate and identify this missing man, who is described as being tall, dark-skinned with long dreadlocks, wearing shorts, and believed to be known as “Blacks” or “Paul”.

Both the investigation into the importation of the drugs and the search and rescue operation continue with the oversight of the Office of the Ombudsman. The three men who were arrested remain in custody under investigation.

An RCIPS Major Incident Room (MIR) has been activated and anyone with information about the missing person or the incident is asked to contact the MIR at 649-2930.