A 72-year-old man is among five persons now charged in relation to the US$75 million cocaine bust, the country’s largest ever cocaine seizure, in Havendale, St Andrew two weeks ago.
Details of the charges were provided by Deputy Commissioner in charge of the police’s crime and security portfolio, Fitz Bailey, in a video statement on the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Instagram page on Monday.
The five men, who are all from Kingston addresses, were charged with possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, and conspiracy.
They are 42-year-old Clayton Peart, 51-year-old George Sterling, 57-year-old Clive Roy Davis, 58-year-old Collin Ricketts, and 72-year-old Junior Haldane.
All five accused who were interviewed in the presence of their lawyers, are to remain in police custody while court dates are finalised for them, said Bailey.
Reports are that on Tuesday, August 6, members of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) within the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC), raided a premises at 2 Riverside Drive in Havendale.
During the operation, a Toyota Hiace minibus and a two-storey concrete house were searched, during which a number of knitted bags with substances that were believed to be cocaine, were allegedly found.
According to Bailey, the substance weighed 2,526.4 kilograms and has an estimated street value of more than US$75 million.
“This seizure represents the largest on record in Jamaica’s history,” declared Bailey.
He said the FNID, along with its local and international partners, are continuing to probe the matter, while following other leads “to further dismantle other criminal networks”.
