Canadian man charged over two pounds of ganja at Kingston airport
Airport personnel at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston found two pounds (about 0.91 kg) of vegetable matter resembling ganja in the suitcase of a 20-year-old Canadian passenger on 5 October 2025. He was arrested and later charged with possession, dealing and taking steps preparatory to exporting ganja, and a court date was being finalised.
🇯🇲 Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston · Jamaica
A Canadian of Brampton, Ontario was arrested Sunday night at the Norman Manley
International Airport in Kingston.[1]The 20-year-old was held after two
pounds of vegetable matter resembling ganja was found in his suitcase.[1]Airport personnel conducted a search of his suitcase and allegedly found ganja
weighing two pounds.[2]
He was subsequently arrested and later charged.[2]He was charged with
possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, and taking steps preparatory to exporting
ganja.[2]A court date is being finalised.[2]An investigation is ongoing.[1]
Photos and video
Airport picture published with the report on the arrest of the Canadian passenger at Norman Manley International Airport. Photo: Jamaica ObserverPhoto details
The Observer says the arrest happened at night while the Gleaner's police account times the suitcase search at about 9:20 a.m. on 5 October; both place it on 5 October.
The two pounds are described as vegetable matter resembling ganja, with no laboratory confirmation reported; two pounds is converted here to about 0.907 kg.
No court date, plea, sentence or bail decision was reported.
The reports do not say whether the man was about to board a flight or had just arrived, and name no police unit beyond airport personnel.
A Jamaica Star page carrying the same Gleaner-bylined account could not be opened, so only the Observer and Gleaner pages are cited.
Police in Falmouth, Trelawny, arrested a 33-year-old woman at a People's National Party meeting and seized a 9mm pistol with ten rounds and about one pound of ganja from her handbag. She was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and with possession of and dealing in ganja, and was due in the Western Regional Gun Court on 26 June 2018.
A St Catherine parish court sentenced fisherman Gaffi Daley to a concurrent total of 16 months at hard labour and a J$800,000 fine or six months more after police stopped his car in Portmore with 490 pounds of compressed ganja on 3 June 2018. Police had described him as a major player in the drugs-for-guns trade.
Arrested 1Charged 1Cannabis 222.26 kgPrison 16 months at hard labour, concurrent
A 32-year-old Barbadian was held at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on 17 January 2017 when a check found about 6.3 pounds (2.86 kg) of ganja in his luggage as he checked in for a flight to Barbados. Police said he would be charged with possession, dealing and export-preparation offences.
Police at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston seized more than 156 pounds of ganja in four checks on 9 December 2013 and arrested seven people. The ganja was found in a false luggage compartment, hidden among yams in a truck, in checked baggage and in a cheese tin.
