Suspected drug kingpin, six others in court today
ANTON “BJ” Johnson, the suspected drug kingpin who was arrested by the narcotics police in connection with an alleged drug operation at the Tinson Pen Aerodrome on July 13, is to appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court today to answer charges of attempted murder, breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act as well as breaches of the Civil Aviation Act.
Six security guards, who were at the aerodrome at the time of the incident, have also been slapped with drug charges and are also booked to appear in court today.
They are:
* Vincent Speed, 40, from Kingston 20;
* 55 year-old Barrington Anderson and Curtis Menzie, 39, from St Catherine;
* Frederick Barrett, 42, from Beverly Gardens, Kingston;
* 23 year-old Kirk Chambers from Kingston 11;
* and Michael Nembhard, 30, from Harbour View, St Andrew.
Johnson, along with Darrington Knowles and Carrington Brown, has been detained at the New Horizon Remand Centre since last Wednesday. The trio were spirited away from the upscale Ritz-Carlton Rosehall Hotel in Montego Bay last week as cops investigated the alleged drug operation in which the police seized an aircraft at the domestic aerodrome.
All three men are Bahamian citizens and immigration officials are seeking to interview Knowles and Brown. During the trio’s court appearance yesterday, their attorneys, Frank Phipps QC and Tom Tavares-Finson, filed a writ of habeus corpus on their behalf.
The detainees had been in custody for over five days and had not been charged, the attorneys submitted. Phipps is representing Johnson while Knowles and Brown are being represented by Tavares-Finson.
Resident Magistrate Jennifer Straw made an order for the three men to be brought to the court today. During their appearance, she said, the immigration police will have a chance to explain why they want to keep Knowles and Brown in custody.
She also ordered that the police take Knowles’ and Brown’s travel documents to court today.
Meanwhile, a corporal and a constable stationed to the Hunts Bay Police, who were reportedly at Tinson pen at the time of the incident, have not been charged.
Deputy police commissioner, Lucius Thomas, confirmed yesterday that the policemen were still on duty as the investigation was not being hampered by their presence.
“They have not been suspended and are still on duty. The investigations are continuing and the statements will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for his ruling,” Thomas told the Observer.
On July 13, the narcotics police, acting on a tip, attempted to prevent a suspected drug plane from leaving the Tinson Pen Aerodrome at about 4:30 am.
They fired at the aircraft, puncturing the body, but it still managed to leave the airstrip; only to return about five hours later.
The men who were aboard the plane then ran in different directions and managed to escape in motor vehicles.
The plane was later seized and transported to the Norman Manley International Airport.