Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter

Narcotics police open five Jacuzzis, yesterday, in which 119 pounds of ganja was found hidden. The drug was seized during a routine narcotics search at the Port of Kingston on Tuesday. - Andrew Smith/Photography Editor

Drug dealers are now utilising a new method of concealing marijuana for shipment overseas, as they have resorted to concealing the contraband inside Jacuzzis.

This was indicated yesterday as the police, in as many months, displayed to The Gleaner their third seizure of compressed marijuana, which was attached to the base of five Jacuzzis destined for St. Lucia.

This was the second such seizure of the drug going to the Eastern Caribbean, and the third overall to the region.

400 lb found

This time, the police seized five Jacuzzis at the Port of Kingston during a routine check on Tuesday. The bust revealed 119 packets of the substance which weighed more than 400 lb.

In August, the narcotics police in Kingston confiscated two Jacuzzis with marijuana attached, and found a total of 43.7 lb. This shipment was headed for Trinidad and Tobago.

In October, the Montego Bay police seized three Jacuzzis at the Sangster International Airport. That seizure yielded 196 lb, which was headed for Antigua.

Head of the Narcotics Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Carlton Wilson, described the latest find as a new trend which is developing, where drug dealers have resorted to using bathtubs to ship drugs.

"The drug traffickers are seeking new and innovative ways of transporting drugs out of the country and this is a new method," he explained.

Lucrative trade

According to SSP Wilson, the marijuana trade to the Eastern Caribbean is a lucrative one, with US$4,000 being the fetching price for a kilogram of marijuana.

Although the police did not give any figures for the latest seizure, calculations by The Gleaner show that the value for the drug would amount to over J$51 million.

The police chief also said that the finds were indicative of the efforts being made by dealers to make money for the upcoming Christmas season.

"We are also aware of the urgency of traffickers to export as much drugs as possible so that they can make financial gains ahead of the festive season. Our investigations are well advanced and we expect a number of individuals to be arrested," Wilson said.