Authorities Seize 1,000 Pounds Of Marijuana In Jamaica

Over 1,000 pounds of compressed marijuana has been seized in Kingston, Jamaica. Narcotics agents discovered the drugs in two shipping containers, one destined for Suriname and another headed to the Netherlands.

No arrests were made in the incident. Jamaica recently amended its drug laws to partially decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but trafficking is still illegal.

In 2014, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) released a report stating that Jamaica is the largest illicit producer and exporter of cannabis in Central America and the Caribbean.

The report noted that Jamaican drug trafficking takes place at airports, seaports via containers, cargo vessels and underwater canisters attached to shipping hulls.

Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago are the most frequent recipients of Jamaica’s illicit exports, according to the INCB.

The report also stated that the ports of Kingston and Montego Bay are used for the bulk shipment of marijuana and cocaine to Europe and throughout the U.S., and adds that corruption, violence and intimidation are used to circumvent legal controls.