Montego Bay man faces fresh cocaine charges after Sangster airport seizure

Roderick Spence, 56, already charged over a Kingston Freeport drug bust, now faces additional cocaine charges tied to a March 2025 airport find.

Montego Bay suspect charged twice over separate cocaine seizures

A St James man already facing drug charges linked to last month's Kingston Freeport Terminal bust has been hit with new cocaine-related charges, jamaica-gleaner.com reports, following a separate seizure at Sangster International Airport in March 2025.

Roderick Spence, 56, of Westgate Hill in Montego Bay, has been charged with possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, taking steps preparatory to export cocaine, and conspiracy to export cocaine. He is scheduled to appear before the St James Parish Court on Wednesday, September 30.

According to police, officers from the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division and Jamaica Customs Agency were conducting routine security checks on shipments at Sangster International Airport at around 11:30 a.m. on March 23, 2025, when anomalies were detected. A search of the shipment uncovered 68 pounds of cocaine.

Spence was originally arrested on September 7 in connection with an August 7 seizure at the Kingston Freeport Terminal, where 103 parcels of cocaine and 123 parcels of ganja — with an estimated street value of $71 million — were recovered during a joint narcotics operation.

That arrest was part of a broader three-day operation, conducted between August 5 and August 7, which resulted in the seizure of over $1 billion worth of cocaine and the arrest of eight individuals in total.

In relation to the Freeport bust, Spence faces charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, attempting to export cocaine, conspiracy to export cocaine, possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, attempting to export ganja, and conspiracy to export ganja.

Source: Google News JM — Crime