Flight Attendant and Second Man Arrested at NMIA in Cocaine Bust

Two men were arrested at Norman Manley International Airport after police seized over 9kg of cocaine in separate incidents Monday. A follow-up search at the flight attendant's home yielded a firearm and 120+ rounds.

Two Arrested at Norman Manley Airport in Separate Cocaine Seizures

Two men, including a flight attendant, were taken into custody on Monday following separate cocaine seizures at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA), the Jamaica Observer reports.

The first incident occurred around 8:00 am, when the flight attendant was preparing to board a JetBlue Airways flight to New York. Routine security screening flagged anomalies in his luggage, prompting detectives from the Firearm and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) to conduct a detailed search. They recovered two rectangular packages containing 3.4 kilogrammes (7.5 lbs) of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $2.9 million.

A follow-up operation at the man's Kingston residence, carried out around 1:30 pm, uncovered a licensed 9mm pistol and more than 120 rounds of ammunition.

In a separate incident approximately two minutes later, a second man arrived at the airport to board a flight to Canada. Security screening again flagged irregularities, and a subsequent search of his luggage turned up 5.6 kilogrammes (12.5 lbs) of cocaine valued at an estimated $4.78 million. He was also placed under arrest.

The total cocaine seized across both incidents exceeded nine kilogrammes. Both men remain in police custody while investigations continue. Their identities are being withheld pending the outcome of those investigations.

Source: Jamaica Observer