Police on Friday thwarted another major player in the illegal drug trafficking network, when they seized almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana at Port Bustamante in Kingston.

The drug was found in a container at the port by detectives from the Trans-National Crime and Narcotics Division (TCND).

According to the police, the shipment was en route from Spain to Costa Rica, when the TCND detectives became suspicious after the storage protocol was breached. The shipment was inspected and 36 bales of the narcotics, which weighed 978 pounds, were found.

The detectives, who are continuing their investigations, have theorised that the contraband was placed in the container after it arrived in Jamaica.

Last month, in another major drug bust, the police seized 11,592 pounds of compressed ganja at a factory at 2B Ken Hill Drive, Pembroke Hall, Kingston 20.

The drug was found in a storeroom by TCND detectives during a police operation on June 24, between 9:00 pm and 12:00 am. The police said that the drug was being prepared for export.

Seven males were arrested in connection with the seizure and were last week taken before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court. Five of them were offered bail in the sum of $500,000 each, while the other two were denied bail.

Those offered bail were Oneil Seabourne, Nigel Seabourne, Mark Dobney, Michael Rodney and Errol Tyrell, all of Red Hills addresses in St Andrew.

They are charged for possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export ganja and conspiracy to export ganja.

Leopold Bromley, owner of the premises and Donald Davis were both denied bail. They are facing similar charges in addition to a charge for using the premises for storage of ganja.