Cops report $143m in ganja seizure

Acting Director of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Oral Henry, has issued a firm warning that law enforcement will continue its push to dismantle the guns-for-drugs trade.

Since the start of the year, authorities have seized more than 46,000 pounds of ganja, with an estimated street value exceeding $143 million.

Last Friday, FNID operatives intercepted more than 1,800 pounds of compressed ganja during an operation on Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11. The drugs, valued at approximately $5.6 million, were discovered during a late-night search.

"This operation is a direct result of our sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks. The link between the illegal drug trade and the flow of illicit firearms into our communities is a major threat to public safety," said Henry.

Around 10 p.m., FNID personnel stopped a Toyota bus carrying two men. A search of the vehicle uncovered several knitted bags filled with ganja. Follow-up investigations led to the interception of another car and the arrest of a third man.

All three suspects were taken into custody.

"By taking these drugs and cash off the streets, we are weakening the financial capacity of these gangs and, in doing so, are directly impacting the guns-for-drugs trade that fuels violence," Henry said.