Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

Three of 10 fishermen, who included seven Hondurans, have been charged in connection with yesterday's ganja seizure on a boat intercepted off the Black River coastline in St. Elizabeth.

Facing charges of possession, dealing in and taking steps to export ganja are 68-year-old Dalton Castle of Providence Lane, Kingston 5, Paul Reid, a 38-year-old resident of Norman Boulevard in May Pen, Clarendon, and Honduran national Paul Armando Brown, 29.

15 pounds of ganja

Police say nine parcels containing 15 pounds of ganja were recovered from the fishing vessel.

Reports are that personnel from Operation Kingfish instructed the Marine Police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coastguard to follow the boat, a Honduran vessel, which left Black River about 12:15 a.m.

The boat was reportedly met at sea by another vessel and men were observed loading items from one craft onto another. The lawmen intervened and the men reportedly began to throw items overboard before speeding away.

During an ensuing chase, one of the boats was intercepted, searched and found with the drug.

The 10 men were taken back to Black River where they were interrogated by investigators attached to the Marine Police and Immigration Department.