KINGSTON, Jamaica — Six Jamaican men are to appear before the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court today on multiple drug-related charges.

The men were arrested during a probe by the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division (TCND) in collaboration with the US Coast Guard and the British Navy, which began on August 31 when a Jamaican-registered vessel laden with 2800 pounds of ganja was intercepted in the eastern Caribbean. 

Seven men were aboard the vessel at the time—two Guyanese men and five Jamaicans.

The boat, and the drug, which has an estimated street value of J$14 million were seized, and the men arrested. The Jamaicans were handed over to investigators at the TCND, while the Guyanese were incarcerated in the US.

The sixth Jamaican, who was found to be the owner of the vessel, was picked up during follow-up investigations locally on September 11. More than US$2000 and other items were also seized in that operation.

Charged with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, exporting ganja, conspiracy to export ganja and trafficking ganja are:

Robert Lindsay, otherwise known as ‘Robbie’, a chef of Nannyville Gardens, St Andrew; 

Stephen Watt, a fisherman of Mountainside, St Elizabeth; 46-year-old Owen Dunkley, otherwise known as ‘Egg Head’, a fisherman of Black River, St Elizabeth; 56-year-old Anthony Augustus Williams, otherwise known as ‘Lara’, a fisherman of Lacovia, St Elizabeth;

49-year-old Bernard Knight, otherwise known as ‘Powder’, a fisherman of Parottee district, St Elizabeth; and Byron Forrest, 44, a fisherman of Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.