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December 23, 2009
Police probe drug racket at international airports
The Narcotics Police are on Tuesday afternoon probing what they believe is a major drug network operating at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA).
The probe was sparked by last week's arrest of four employees at the airport and the seizure of nearly one hundred pounds of ganja.
An Air Jamaica Customer Service agent and a Customer Service agent employed to Jamaica Dispatch Services Limited are among those charged.
The Narcotics Police reported that on December 14, a 16-year-old British girl was preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London when they intercepted two suitcases in her name.
The suitcases were each loaded with nearly 30 pounds of ganja.
The teen was taken into custody and questioned.
The cops then arrested three Customer Service Agents assigned to Jamaica Dispatch Services for questioning.
One of them, 21-year-old Crystal Marsh was subsequently charged.
The other two agents were released after their attorneys filed writs in court demanding their release.
The cops say the tags on the suitcases were generated by Ms Marsh's computer.
The cops say the suitcases were never checked in by the teen, but were already at the airport waiting on her to be placed on the flight.
Two other suitcases got through Norman Manley International, but were intercepted by the British police.
Ms Marsh and the British teen appeared in court Tuesday where Ms Marsh was offered bail in the sum of $500,000.
The investigators told the court that they are still conducting further investigations.
Ms Marsh and the British teen, who were remanded, are to return to court on January 22.
In the meantime, the Air Jamaica agent was arrested on Sunday after the cops seized 30 pounds of ganja in the possession of a woman who was about to board a flight at NMIA.
The woman was questioned and reportedly pointed the cops to the Air Jamaica agent.
The agent is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.