shuFIVE people are now behind bars following the seizure of cocaine valued at more than $2 million, an illegal firearm, and several rounds ammunition during police operations in three parishes between Wednesday and Thursday.
According to the police, about 7:00 pm Wednesday a British woman, who had checked in for a flight to London at the Sangster International Airport in St James, was searched by lawmen and a tin marked ‘cheese’ was found with cocaine weighing approximately 2.5 pounds.
Following the woman’s arrest, narcotics police later picked up two men, one of whom is a British national suspected to be involved in the illicit drug trade. They were allegedly found with tins marked cheese, containing 2.5 pounds of cocaine in a motor car. The motor vehicle was also seized.
Further investigations led detectives to a house in Annotto Bay, St Mary, where one 9mm pistol with 14 rounds of 9mm cartridges and an ammunition box containing an additional 19 rounds of 9mm cartridges were found.
A British woman was subsequently arrested in connection with the gun ammunition find.
Police said detectives later went to Waltham Park Road in St Andrew, where a British man who is wanted in his country was arrested and a small quantity of ganja seized.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds, in commenting on the seizures, said, “The Police High Command commends the excellent job being done by the narcotics team. We made a deliberate move to ramp up our counter-narcotics operations this year, and based on what we’ve seen so far, this year will see a significant increase in seizures when compared to last year.
“What is significant too, is that a number of these operations have led to the seizures of not only drugs, but also firearms. We congratulate the team and look forward to this momentum continuing throughout the rest of the year and beyond.”
The five will be interviewed in the presence of their attorneys and thereafter formal charges will be laid, the police said.