St James Man Charged Over $71M Drug Seizure at Kingston Freeport Terminal

A 56-year-old Montego Bay man faces eight drug charges after cocaine and ganja worth over $71 million were found in a shipping container bound for the US.

Montego Bay Man Charged After $71M Drug Find at Kingston Freeport Terminal

A 56-year-old St James man has been charged in connection with a major narcotics seizure at the Kingston Freeport Terminal, the Jamaica Observer reports.

Roderick Spence of Westgate Hill, Montego Bay, was taken into police custody on Monday, September 7 and charged following a formal interview.

The charges arise from a joint operation by the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) and the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) on August 7. At approximately 4:30 pm, officers inspected a shipping container destined for the United States and found 103 parcels of cocaine and 123 parcels of ganja, with a combined estimated street value exceeding $71 million.

Spence faces eight charges: 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.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) described the arrest as the latest development from a series of targeted operations conducted at the terminal between August 5 and August 7. Those operations initially led to the arrest of eight individuals and the seizure of more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine along with a quantity of ganja. The eight suspects have since been released on pre-charge bail while investigations continue.

Spence is scheduled to appear before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday, September 16.

Source: Jamaica Observer