Local narcotics police are expressing concern about what they have described as a breakdown in the security system at the country's two international airports, especially the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

According to the police, since the start of June, the airports have been swamped by drug couriers, using novel and old methods to smuggle cocaine and ganja out of the island.

Ganja in bathrooms

"This morning [Saturday], we found 18 pounds of compressed ganja in one of the bathrooms at the Norman Manley International Airport. On Friday, we found another 40 pounds of compressed ganja in two buckets, inside one of the bathrooms," head of the Narcotics Division, Senior Superintendent Carlton Wilson, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

SSP Wilson added that, on Friday afternoon, the police found a quantity of drugs at one of the warehouses at the Kingston airport."We believe some of the drugs was liquified cocaine. We arrested a man at the Norman Manley Airport this morning, after he was found with drugs going to Barbados," Wilson revealed.

The lawmen's concerns come two years after a high-level security system was implemented at the two international airports to facilitate the ICC Cricket World Cup championship.

"We believe there is a syndicate operating at the airports, facilitating the smuggling of drugs," Wilson said.

The senior officer based his comments on the significant increase of drugs moving through the ports. About two weeks ago, narcotics personnel apprehended a man at the Norman Manley International Airport, whom they said they had had under surveillance.

"When the man cleared the security checkpoint, we searched him thoroughly and found nothing. But when he landed in Barbados later, the authorities there detected several parcels of drugs strapped to his body," Wilson said.

The narcotics police believe that, after clearing the security check point, the man went to an area of the airport where he was assisted by workers to smuggle the drugs out of the country.