Four Cleared of Drug Charges Linked to 1,500-Pound Ganja Seizure at Kingston Wharves

Four men charged in connection with a major ganja seizure at the Kingston Wharves have been acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support the case.

The men — Shawayne Gordon, Andrew Andrade, Phillip Henderson, Antoine Swaby, and Elvis Banbury — were freed on Wednesday when Senior Parish Judge Paula Blake Powell upheld no-case submissions during proceedings in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court. The charges included aiding and abetting the possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, and attempting to export the illicit drug.

The case stemmed from a 2020 seizure of more than 1,500 pounds of compressed ganja discovered during a routine inspection by the police and the Jamaica Customs Agency at the Kingston Wharves. The marijuana, packed in 13 knitted bags and one duffle bag containing a total of 155 parcels, was reportedly intended for export to Canada and was valued at approximately J$6.1 million.

During submissions, defence attorneys argued that prosecutors failed to establish that the accused men physically handled or exercised control over the shipping container in which the ganja was found. The defence also raised concerns about the absence of scientific evidence confirming that the substance seized was, in fact, ganja.

Judge Blake Powell agreed with the defence arguments and formally entered verdicts of not guilty for the four men, who had been on trial since November of last year.

The court was told that a fifth individual, Jermaine Minott, was captured on video transporting the marijuana to the port. Minott later pleaded guilty to possession and trafficking charges and was fined in April 2021. Charges against a sixth accused, Andrew Andrea, were previously withdrawn.

Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Minott drove a vehicle carrying the ganja onto the wharves and was granted access by security personnel. It was further alleged that the container was later moved within the port using heavy equipment before being relocated.

The acquitted men were represented by a team of attorneys, including Christopher Townsend, Chadwick Berry, Orville Morgan, Shane Williams, and CJ Mitchell.