Two Vincentians, St Lucian on cruise ship charged for drugs

Two Vincentians and one St Lucian who worked on a cruise ship are currently remanded in a Belizean prison, charged with drug trafficking.

Following their arrest Tuesday, June 20, Derson Frank, 30, and Renaldo Kerron Roberts, along with St Lucian Nathus Celise, were charged and arraigned in Magistrate’sCourt and are now at the Belize Central Prison.

According to Breaking Belize News (BBN), at about 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Placencia Police were called to the Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship that was docked at Harvest Caye in southern Belize.

Security Officers reported that they found suspected drugs in a cabin on the ship occupied by Frank.

Frank was escorted to his cabin, where a search conducted by police revealed the items to be controlled drugs. During the investigation, police determined that Roberts

and Celise may also have been involved.

Each package weighed 1,065 kg.

The three men were then charged with two counts of drug trafficking.

According to cruiselawnews.com, smuggling cocaine is big business on the high seas. Two years ago another Vincentian found himself in the same circumstances. Vermont resident Desrick Gordon, who was 23 at the time, was among five crew members on the Norwegian Sun, arrested in relation to a number of cocaine packages that were transported from Roatan, Honduras, to Tampa, Florida.

On December 17, 2015, Gordon was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison in Florida.

The crew members were reportedly found with around $50,000

in cash on them and Western Union receipts showing they had wired money to other unidentified persons.