Coastguard seizes 373 pounds of cannabis

Nine sacks of cannabis thrown overboard from a speedboat prompted the captain of the boat to plead guilty to drug possession and the passenger to say he was just hitching a ride to Bequia, this week in court.

Ronald Thomas of Grenada and Raynold Humphrey of Lauders, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), first appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court this Tuesday, charged with three offences: the possession of 373 pounds of cannabis with intent to supply, attempting to export this cannabis and drug trafficking. Thomas pleaded guilty to all offences and Humphrey pleaded not guilty.

At the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, defense lawyer Grant Connell, with a heated speech and reddened face, pushed for Humphrey to be given bail.

He stated that Humphrey had not committed a crime where bail may be barred. “It’s marijuana. They haven’t killed anybody…At this rate, it’s like marijuana is worth more than life,” he stated.

Magistrate Bertie Pompey granted bail in the sum of $20,000 to Humphrey, even though the prosecutor said he thought the bail should be at least $40,000, and transferred the matter to the Serious Offences Court, where Thomas’s guilty plea would be heard the next day.

On Wednesday, the court heard the facts, according to the Coastguard.

The Coastguard said while on patrol on November 13, they spotted a red and blue go fast boat with two persons aboard. When they started chasing the boat, it changed direction and sped up and the defendants were seen throwing nylon sacks overboard. On the firing of a warning shot, the boat stopped and the Coastguard observed several nylon sacks floating on the surface of the water, not too far from the boat. When one of the sacks was opened, a plant-like material, which resembled cannabis, was identified.

The defendant Humphrey then allegedly stated at that point, “Officer, times hard, man. I have to try and survive.”

The two were arrested and taken to the Coastguard base where the remaining sacks were opened in the defendants’ presence. Humphrey is said to have stated at this point, “Officer is Roseau Bay we pick them up,” and Thomas allegedly saying, “Is Carriacou we been going carry them.”

Because all of the information, including the previous offences of the Grenadian, and the fact that he had an arrest warrant out against him in Grenada, had been collected within 24 hours, the prosecutor, Adolphus Delplesche, complimented the police officer involved at this juncture, saying, “Kudos, Huggins! When you do good, I say so. When you do foolishness, I say so.”

Connell, in his representation, stated that Thomas was a 53-year-old fisherman and father of three children, who was really ‘Grenada’s problem’, since he was wanted in Grenada. Connell said that Thomas’s services had been “requested to drop off some of the locally produced” marijuana, whereas Humphrey was just getting a ride to Bequia. He said that the amount was “relatively small…given its origin”(referring to the amount of marijuana he thinks is grown in SVG).

Connell asked that the court fine the Grenadian the value of the boat, worth $46,000, which the coastguard had seized, instead of giving him jail time. He believed that “given the rate of breaking of yachts and the coastguard’s inability to protect our porous borders,” the boat would be useful.

Delplesche reminded Connell in his submission that the drug was still illegal and that even if he thought the amount was relatively small, “when you measure it on the scale it is not.

“The enforcement of our laws is what the court has to concern itself with,” he continued.

Sentencing was deferred until yesterday, Thursday, for Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias to refer to past cases of a similar nature.

Considering all circumstances, including Thomas’ previous offences, Browne-Matthias sentenced Thomas to 16 months in prison and confiscation of the boat for the charge of possession of a controlled drug. Further, he was given 20 months for the offence of exporting the drug and 28 months for the trafficking of drugs. All sentences running concurrently, he will spend 28 months in jail.

Humphrey’s next court appearance has been slotted for January 29 next year.(KR)