Soufriere resident hit with $200,000 penalty in drug case

A man from the town of Soufriere in Saint Lucia must pay a steep fine after admitting to multiple narcotics offences tied to a port seizure.

Soufriere resident hit with $200,000 penalty in drug case

A man hailing from Soufriere has been ordered to pay a $200,000 monetary penalty after admitting responsibility for nine separate narcotics violations connected to a recent bust at the Vieux Fort Port.

The defendant, identified as Tony Paul and nicknamed "Abra", was brought before the Second District Court on Thursday. Magistrates gave him until the final day of 2026 to come up with the money. Non-payment will result in a six-year custodial term.

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force announced on Friday that the operation took place on Monday at the port facility. Members of the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Unit teamed up with officials from the Customs and Excise Department to carry out the raid.

During the inspection, officers uncovered illicit substances concealed within buckets. The haul included five parcels believed to contain cannabis resin and two additional parcels suspected of being raw cannabis.

Following the discovery, detectives took Paul into custody along with a woman. Authorities jointly accused both individuals of three counts of bringing controlled substances into the country, three counts of holding such substances for the purpose of distribution, and three counts of unlawful possession.

When the matter came up in court, Paul acknowledged his involvement in all nine counts. In light of his admissions, prosecutors elected to dismiss the entire case against his female co-accused.

Source: St. Lucia Times

Source: St Lucia Times