4,079 pounds of ganja seized in Prospect, St Thomas; Bahamian man, 70, held
Police in St Thomas took a 70-year-old man believed to be Bahamian into custody after finding 4,079 pounds of compressed ganja, packed in 765 parcels, in an unoccupied building in Prospect. Acting Senior Superintendent Patrae Rowe, head of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division, said the seizure targeted the guns-for-drugs trade.
Police in St Thomas took a man they believe to be a Bahamian national into
custody after finding ganja at an abandoned premises in Prospect.[1][2]The
search was carried out by investigators of the Firearms and Narcotics
Investigation Division (FNID) with Jamaica Defence Force personnel and the St
Thomas Police Division.[1]
More than 750 parcels of compressed ganja were found inside the premises.[1]Police put the seized ganja at 4,000 pounds, worth more than J$12 million in
their estimate.[1]The Gleaner reported that a search of an unoccupied
building in Prospect found knitted bags of ganja weighing 4,079 pounds.[3][2]Several boats, drums of gasoline and other items were also seized in the
operation.[1]The man found at the premises was 70 years old, and the Gleaner
reported 154 knitted bags holding 765 packages of ganja.[3]
Bahamian officials in Jamaica were notified of the detention, and the man’s name
was withheld while the investigation continued.[3]Acting Senior
Superintendent Patrae Rowe, director of FNID, said the seizure struck at the
illegal guns-for-drugs trade, which he said ganja helps to fund.[1]
A joint police and military team conducted the operation in the Blue Mahoe scheme about 11:15 pm under a search warrant issued under the Dangerous Drugs Act.[2]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
The Observer dates the operation to Sunday and describes it as beginning about 2:00 am; the Gleaner dates the seizure to Saturday night about 11:20 pm. The night of 14 June 2025 is used as the incident date.
The Observer gives 4,000 pounds and more than 750 parcels; the Gleaner gives 4,079 pounds, 765 packages and 154 knitted bags. The Gleaner figures are used, and 4,079 pounds is converted to about 1,850 kilograms.
No charge or court outcome was reported; the man's name was withheld and the investigation was said to be continuing.
The Observer describes the place only as an abandoned premises in Prospect; the Gleaner says it was an unoccupied building and withdrew an earlier reference to Cerlean Bay.
No figures were reported for the boats, drums or other items seized.
RJR News places the operation in the Blue Mahoe scheme and calls the premises a dwelling, while the Gleaner and Observer describe an unoccupied building or abandoned premises in Prospect; the sources do not say how the two names relate.
RJR News gives neither the weight nor an estimated value of the ganja, and its count of about 100 large bags differs from the Gleaner's 154 knitted bags holding 765 packages.
RJR News states the operation began about 11:15 pm while the Observer gives about 2:00 am.
Police and the JDF Coast Guard seized over 2,000 pounds of ganja from a canoe near Alligator Pond, St Elizabeth on March 3. Four men on board were charged with possession, dealing, trafficking and export-related ganja offences.
The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard intercepted a vessel southwest of Long Bay Beach, Manchester, seizing over 2,286 pounds of marijuana valued at about $45 million. Four people were detained and handed over with the drugs to the police narcotics division for processing.
Police intercepted two cars on the Pamphret main road in St Thomas on September 26, 2025, seizing 1,600 pounds of compressed ganja in 33 bags. Two men were arrested and charged with possession, dealing, export-preparation and trafficking offences.
Three men are being prosecuted over 1,890 pounds (about 857 kg) of compressed ganja that police said they were taking to a Jamaican port on 15 August 2025. Two were granted $1 million bail, the third stayed in lockup, and the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court set 6 January 2026 for case management.
