An American citizen whom Customs Officers detained at the Norman Manley International Airport on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, was later arrested by the police for attempting to smuggle an undisclosed quantity of ganja into the country.

The unidentified suspect also had a large quantity of laced edibles concealed within his luggage.

The suspect, who arrived on the Island on a flight from Florida, was taken into custody following the discovery of the illicit drugs during routine security checks on Tuesday.

Customs officers became suspicious when scanning equipment revealed anomalies in the passenger’s luggage—a subsequent thorough inspection uncovered the drugs and edibles.

In early October, school authorities rushed several students to the hospital after eating sweets containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major psychoactive component in marijuana.

For this reason, Customs CEO/Commissioner Velma Ricketts Walker hailed the officers’ efforts, who, through their vigilance, have prevented the laced edibles from getting onto our streets and into the hands of unsuspected consumers.

“We commend the efforts of our customs officers, whose actions have ensured that these THC products will not find their way into our homes or schools, safeguarding our children and other innocent consumers from potential adverse effects,” the Customs commissioner expressed.

Ricketts Walker urged air passengers to desist from traveling with them.

“We are urging travelers to leave THC products behind when traveling to Jamaica, as they will be subject to customs control and enforcement actions,” Ricketts Walker explained.

The interception of products forms part of Customs’ broader mission of protecting the overall health of the Jamaican people.

Jamaica Customs is the unified border, trade, and revenue agency within the Government of Jamaica, along with other law enforcement partners, charged with managing, controlling, and protecting our nation’s border at and between official ports of entry.

St Catherine women fined for illegal electricity abstraction.

The presiding judge fined two St. Catherine women who pleaded guilty to the illegal abstraction of electricity in the St. Catherine Parish Court on Friday, November 25, 2023.

The judge fined Claudia Edwards $250,000 or 30 days’ imprisonment and fined Maria Williams $150,000 or 30 days’ detention.

According to reports, on September 1, 2023, the police and technicians from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) conducted operations in Gravel Heights, St. Catherine, where officers arrested the women for illegal connections that the technicians observed at their homes.

The women were among several people who appeared in court for trespassing on the work of the JPS. However, the others pleaded not guilty and were given dates to return to court.

Parish Judge Yvette Wentworth-Miller revealed that the maximum fine for stealing electricity is $1,000,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment.