Eight passengers of a cruise ship that docked in Ocho Rios, St Ann, Wednesday, are in police custody in connection with more than J$130 million worth of cocaine.
Police say the Narcotics Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) through their operation leading to the arrests disrupted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating between the United States (US) and Jamaica.
Reports are that the eight people – seven of them US nationals and one Jamaican had disembarked the vessel which arrived in Ocho Rios from Miami, Florida about 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 9.
According to the police about 1:30 p.m. as the eight were re-boarding the vessel for departure, anomalies were detected in their luggage.
During a search by members of the Narcotics Division, a total of twenty-four packages, containing cocaine weighing just over 17 kilograms (38 pounds) were found concealed in their bags.
The passengers were arrested for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. However, their identities are being withheld pending further investigations.
According to the police, the seized drug has an estimated street value of US $850 000 (or J$130,000,000).
Investigations continue.
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