St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard seized 20 kilos of cocaine and arrested three St Lucian nationals on Monday.
The three individuals have been identified as Dolton “Degree” John, 32, a fisherman from Castries; Moses “Laygay” Barbour, 50, a steel bender from Vieux Fort; and Ezra “Will” Henry, 49, self-employed from Castries.
They have been charged with conspiracy, possession of controlled drugs, and drug trafficking.
According to the police, this marks another victory in the ongoing fight against narcotics.
The three men appeared before the Serious Offences Court on September 18 and pleaded not guilty. The matter has been adjourned to October 17 while the men remain in custody at His Majesty’s Prison awaiting trial.
Police said Monday’s operation was a coordinated effort between the Coast Guard and the Rapid Response Unit.
In a separate operation, the RRU, acting on a tip, searched the Hamilton area of Bequia and discovered three additional kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in a buried bucket.
The total amount of cocaine seized in these operations is 22,243 grammes, which has an estimated street value of EC$460,000.
The RSVGPF promised to continue bringing traffickers to justice and taking strong, decisive action to disrupt and dismantle the operations of those involved in this illicit trade.
The police called on the public to report any suspicious activities while they promised to spare no effort in bringing those responsible for drug-related crimes to justice