Men in major cocaine bust denied bail

Tiffany Taylor 
STAR Writer

The five persons who were arrested in connection with a reported $12-billion cocaine bust in St Andrew were remanded in custody when they made their first court appearance on Wednesday.

Clive Davis, 57; Collin Ricketts, 58; George Sterling, 51; Clayton Peart, 42; and Junior Haldane, 72, have been charged with possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking cocaine and conspiracy. 

Their arrest follows an August 6 operation at a premises in Havendale, Kingston 19, where the drug was allegedly found.

When the men appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, Parish Judge Maxine Ellis ordered that they receive medical attention.

“I am leaving no stones unturned. I want them healthy,” the presiding judge said. Ellis said accused men are to be taken to see the doctor "as soon as possible" after a lawyer for two of the accused made the request.

The men were subsequently remanded until October 9, when it is expected that bail applications will be made on their behalf.

Reports are that officers from the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division, with support from other units within the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Division, conducted an operation at a premises in Havendale.  Several knitted bags believed to contain cocaine were seized during the operation.

The police said that the total weight of the substance seized is 2,526.4 kilogrammes and has an estimated street value of US$75,792,000 (approximately J$12 billion).