THE marine police have so far this year seized seven metal cannisters with compressed ganja from underneath vessels leaving Jamaica's main port in Kingston, the island's capital.

The police target vessels leaving for countries in which the drugs are said to be in great demand.

"At the moment we are paying special attention to boats leaving Jamaica for North America, Trinidad, Canada and some Dutch-speaking countries. These are some of the countries where ganja fetch the best prices," said Superintendent Marlon Dietrich, head of the Marine Police Division.

The latest seizure took place Sunday when police found two cannisters of compressed marijuana from a boat at the Gordon Key berthing facility in the Kingston Harbour.

According to Superintendent Dietrich, the drug, valued at approximately US $450,000, was found shortly after 7:00 pm by officers on patrol.

The containers, he said, were clamped to the undercarriage of a boat destined for Trinidad. No one was arrested in connection with the find.

"The containers were found strapped to a section of the boat near the propeller which is submerged under the water. With the assistance of divers we managed to free it from the boat," Dietrich told reporters during the opening of the containers on Monday.