Police have netted the decade's largest ganja find, in a joint operation between narcotics police and Operation Kingfish, yesterday.
By Fabian LedgisterPolice say at about 6:00 p.m., an intelligence-led operation was conducted at 18 Bay Farm Road. Two houses on the premises were searched, where about 3,380 kilograms (7,436 pounds) of compressed and packaged marijuana was seized.
This makes the second massive marijuana seizure in a week, coming after Tuesday's colossal find of 2677 kilograms (5,890 pounds) of ganja, that police had then described as "the largest single find over the past decade."
A man, said to be related to the main suspect behind the find, was taken into custody. Up to press time however, he had not been arrested, or slapped with any formal charges.
"A man has been taken into custody, and we expect to make some arrests in connection to this find," said head of the narcotic division, Senior Superintendent Carlton Wilson.
The street value of this latest find would have been worth over $53 million locally, or about US$40 million ($260 million). Combined, the two drug busts would amount to 13,326 pounds of ganja. This police say, these finds are indications of an ongoing 'crackdown' on the marijuana trade.
"We were in Portland Cottage two nights ago (Wednesday), in Old Harbour last night (Thursday), and we are monitoring all the ganja growing parishes, because one parish could not have grown all this (latest bust) ganja," said Inspector Steve Brown, of Kingfish.
PILLS
Other than the 169 boxes of ganja, and items used to package the substance (boxes, masking tape, rope, etc.), several other unidentified pills were also seized in the find.
"Pharmaceuticals were also found in one room...these will be carried to the lab (narcotics division), where they will be tested to see what they are," said SSP Wilson.
The Senior Superintendent explains that the division has "intensified" their operations following a significant increase in the export of marijuana, this year.
"Since we have severely crippled the cocaine trade, there has been an increase in ganja production locally, so we have intensified our efforts and our relentless policing is now putting a dent in the trade. Clearly, these boxes were packaged for export, and we have stopped a major shipment," said SSP Wilson.
The Jamaica Defence Force was also on the scene, to assist police in removing the massive find, and to secure the area.
"We were called in on this snap operation to help secure the grounds so police could do their work...nuff box dis man, I have never seen a bigger bust," said a JDF officer from the 2JR Bravo team.
The nation's largest find was back in 1996, when police seized over 9,000 kilograms (20,000 pounds) of ganja in Clarendon.
