Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
THE NARCOTICS police have delivered a body blow to the illegal drug trade over the past two months. They have seized and destroyed cocaine and ganja worth more than $28 million.
"Between January and February we have so far arrested 1,323 persons, which include 37 foreigners. We have also seized 12 motor vehicles and three containers," head of the Narcotics Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Carlton Wilson, told The Gleaner.
Among the foreign nationals arrested are an American family: 42-year-old Frank Ruiz, his common-law wife and stepson. They were nabbed with over 1,000 pounds of ganja in Port Antonio, Portland, on March 3. Last Friday, Mr. Ruiz was convicted but his relatives were acquitted.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined over $1 million.
GANJA TRADE
As Government continues to tighten security at the island's ports, drug smugglers have again turned to the ganja trade. However, the police say there are still small portions of cocaine passing through the island. "We are now seeing an increase in the attempts by persons to export ganja through traditional methods. People, especially those travelling to the Eastern Caribbean, are now swallowing ganja pellets," SSP Wilson said.
However, reports are that the lack of machinery is preventing the police from eradicating large ganja fields in St. Elizabeth.
Last year, more than $500 million worth of narcotics were seized islandwide by a multi-agency Counter Narcotics and Major Crimes Task Force team.
DRUGS SEIZED
Among the drugs seized were 115 kilograms of cocaine, 7,500 kilograms of ganja, 467.9 kilograms of hash oil and 1,035 Ecstasy tablets. Twenty-eight motor vehicles, four boats and one container were also seized in connection with these finds.
Last year, approximately 174 hectares of fully grown ganja plants were destroyed, along with 3,760 seedlings, 177 nurseries and 1,615 kilograms of cured ganja.
Narcotics seizures between January and February
Cocaine - 12.1 kilograms
Ganja - 4,588 kilograms
Seedlings destroyed - 66,000
Ganja plants destroyed - 56 hectares
Nurseries destroyed - 52
Ecstasy tablets - 500
