Cops analysing footage of major cocaine bust

Investigators from the police's Firearms and Narcotics Investigative Division are relying on surveillance footage which captures five men, including a 72-year-old - who have been fingered in the largest drug bust of the island's history - interacting with other persons moments before a targeted raid.

That was revealed in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday, when the men, Collin Ricketts, Clive Davis, Clayton Peart, Junior Haldane and Aubrey Sterling were arraigned for breaching the Dangerous Drugs Act.

"Peart was contacted by Ricketts to get a bus and he was escorted to the property [where the drugs were found]. Sterling is a taxi driver and was told by Ricketts to meet at a particular location and they escorted Peart to the property, [in Havendale], where the bus was found," the investigator revealed.

"Before going to the property [in Havendale], Ricketts, Davis, Haldane and Sterling were seen at a location conversing with other persons leaving to go to the property," the investigator shared further, adding that the footage was sent to experts at the Communication, Forensics and Cybercrime Division for analysis.

Allegations detail that on August 6, police received intelligence about men at an Airbnb property at Riverside Drive in Havendale. Armed with a search warrant, the police carried out a raid at the property, which yielded the seizure of 5,569 pounds of white powdery substance resembling cocaine, with an estimated street value of US$72 million, approximately J$11.2 billion.

It is alleged that 29 knitted bags were found in a vehicle on the property and 62 similar packaged bags were found in a room on the premises. The investigator said that Peart was found hiding inside the house, while Haldane and Sterling were seen hiding behind the vehicle. Davis was said to be a look-out. The men were charged earlier this week with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine and trafficking cocaine.

The matter was heard before Parish Judge Maxine Ellis, who was informed by the prosecutor that discussions are to be held with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine if jurisdiction lies at the parish court. In the meantime, Ellis made an order that the accused men receive medical attention and that their fingerprints be taken by the police.

They were remanded in custody until October 9, when the matter is set for mention. The case file is incomplete.