Royal Saint Lucia Police Force officers seized about 850 kilograms of compressed cannabis from a foreign vessel on 11 January 2026, in an operation the force described as intelligence-led.[1][2] The cannabis was valued at EC$3.4 million.[1]
The vessel’s two occupants abandoned it and fled on foot, evading capture; police did not identify them and made no arrests.[1][2]
The interception
Officers from the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Unit, the Central Intelligence Unit, the Marine Unit and the Special Services Unit intercepted the vessel after intelligence that it was bringing controlled drugs into Saint Lucia.[1][2] After a search, forensic examination found about 850.42 kilograms of compressed green plant material believed to be cannabis.[1] The vessel was taken to a police facility and the drugs were held for processing.[1][2]
Inspector Shervon Matthieu, who leads the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Unit, said the force remained “resolute in disrupting drug trafficking activities and safeguarding Saint Lucia’s borders”.[1] The police said investigations would try to identify the people involved and establish where the drugs came from and where they were going.[1]
