Five persons held in a car with 52lb of ganja denied ownership of the drugs, claiming it belonged to man who fled the scene when the police came to search the vehicle.

When they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, they were each granted $100,000 bail with surety. The five accused are Kenneth Williams of a Portmore address, Kenneth Green and Eric Mitchell from Arnett Gardens addresses and Marvalyn Burke-Williams and Althea Bryan also from Kingston addresses.

All are charged with conspiracy to export, possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export and trafficking in ganja.

Allegations are on Sunday, February 24, the five were in a car travelling along Spanish Town Road when it stopped to let off a passenger. The police asked for a search of the vehicle and found two parcels of compressed ganja in the car. The cops took the vehicle to the Hunts Bay Police Station where they conducted a further search and found a suitcase in the trunk with 31 parcels of compressed ganja.

The police say that the total weight of all the ganja is 52lb and 0.5oz. All five were subsequently arrested and charged. The court was also told that the police later discovered that Green was to leave the island on the said day via the Sangster International Airport.

Medical treatment

Ernest Smith, the lawyer of three of the accused, said that another person was travelling in the car. He said the car stopped at a bus stop to let off a passenger when the police approached. He added that at the same time the man ran, thereby arousing the suspicion of the police. He also said the man who ran off was actually the owner of the suitcase and was about to collect it when he saw the cops.

He added Green was leaving the island to seek medical treatment as he had been shot several times in a recent attack at his business place.

Resident Magistrate Glen Brown, who heard the matter while granting bail, also stated that the accused travel documents should remain in police custody as a condition of the bail. The matter is to return on April 16.