Sea catch

Two St Lucia men caught with cannabis in Barbados’ territorial waters are now waiting to hear their fate.

The two, 39-year-old Jack George of Pierrot, Vieux Fort and 30-year-old Tyrone Belhomme, of Giraudy, Vieux Fort pleaded guilty today in the No. 2 Supreme Court to importation, trafficking and possession of 238.3 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Coast guard officials were conducting surveillance about ten nautical miles off Batts Rock, St Michael on August 30, 2018 when they received information and began heading in the direction of Herons Bay, St James. On the way they spotted a white vessel registration number J6-1464 bearing the name Power Struggle about 0.2 nautical miles off Holetown. Three men were spotted on board the vessel, which began making evasive manoeuvres on seeing the Coast Guard vessel.

The boat was later intercepted about 15 nautical miles off Herons Bay and two crew members were removed. George identified himself as the captain while Belhomme said he was a crewman. A St Peter man was the third person on board.

The bags containing the cannabis along with the detainees were taken to the Coast Guard base and subsequently to the Oistins Police Station.

On being questioned George stated that he ventured to St Vincent for the drugs and was to make the handover to another boat about 23 nautical miles off Barbados. They however ventured closer to land when that vessel was not there and were caught.

Belhomme meantime said he had been caught and did not have anything to say but admitted that he was expecting payment for his part in the operation, Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas said in relaying the facts to Justice Randall Worrell,

Pre-sentencing reports have been ordered on the men who are represented by attorney-at-law George Bennett.

Their time already spent on remand will also be revealed to the court at their next appearance.