Vivian Dennis, a 75-year-old retired construction worker and Michael Dawkins, farmer of St Elizabeth, are each facing charges of possession, dealing

Jamaican-born British national, Vivian Dennis, a 75-year-old retired construction worker and Michael Dawkins, farmer of St Elizabeth, are each facing charges of possession, dealing and attempting to exporting cocaine. Dawkins also has to answer an additional charge of conspiracy. The court heard that on October 11, Dennis had boarded a flight to London, England, at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and was later summoned to the Narcotics Office. There he identified bags that had been taken to the office during routine luggage checks. He identified the luggage as his and used keys in his possession to open it. Four bottles labelled magnum and three bottles labelled Red Label wine were taken from a black bag all of which contained cocaine in the liquid form. Dennis told the police that it was Dawkins who gave it to him. Dawkins was subsequently called to the airport and was arrested and charged. Defence attorney Trevor Ho-Lyn, who represented Dennis, said that his client has carried back liquor for the accused before, and thought nothing was amiss when he was again asked to take back the bottles of what he thought were genuine liquors. He said his client has an unblemished record and would never get involved in this type of criminal activity. However, RM Henry denied bail saying that based on the information conveyed to the court, it would appear that both men were involved in the attempt to smuggle drugs and Dennis could be a flight risk.
Attorney Dalton Reid also said his client, Dawkins, had nothing to do with the drugs and said that it would have been stupid of his client to return to the airport knowing he had placed drugs in Dennis' suitcase. He argued that his client's actions shows that he could not have been involved. The men are scheduled to return to court on November 4. In the meantime, the substance is to be analysed at the government forensic laboratory.

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on Sunday.

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on Sunday.HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the drugs, weighing about 2.3kg and valued at £170,000, were apparently found stitched into the hair pieces.A Jamaican police spokeswoman said the two women were charged with possession, dealing and attempting to export cocaine, and will appear at Montego Bay Resident Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The pair were on holiday in Jamaica for two weeks before their arrest, and have allegedly told police they were to be paid £4,000 for smuggling the drugs into the UK, an HMRC spokeswoman said.The arrests came about through Operation Airbridge, a UK-Jamaican collaboration to catch drugs couriers - known as mules - before they board planes from Jamaica.Tony Walker, of the UK Border Agency and head of Operation Airbridge, said: "The Airbridge operation is delivering real results in this and other cases by helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."The number detected at UK airports from Jamaica has fallen from about 1,000 every year to five in 2007, the HMRC said.

Andrea Henry,Wayne Walshaw jailed for 12 months at the hearing in Montego Bay.

Andrea Henry, 39, of Ettington Avenue, Park End in Middlesbrough was jailed for six months and her partner Wayne Walshaw, 32, of Saltburn in Cleveland was jailed for 12 months at the hearing in Montego Bay.Charges against Henry's 17-year-old daughter, Toni Bellamy, were dropped and the teenager will be deported to the UK, a spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said.The trio were arrested at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on Sunday on suspicion of swallowing packages of cocaine,

the spokesman said.They had been due to board a flight to Manchester.
The court also handed down fines of 350,000 Jamaican dollars (£2,488) to Walshaw and 250,000 Jamaican dollars (£1,777) to Henry.Both face an extra six months in prison if they fail to pay.

Middlesbrough woman, her partner and a 17-yerar-old girl have been arrested in Jamaica suspected of attempting to smuggle drugs.

Middlesbrough woman, her partner and a 17-yerar-old girl have been arrested in Jamaica suspected of attempting to smuggle drugs.The three were arrested at the Sangster international airport in Montego Bay on June 8th by the Jamaican authorities.Police claim the two women were caught attempting to smuggle cocaine internally and all three are suspected of swallowing packages of cocaine before boarding a flight back to Manchester.The trio were arrested as part of Operation Airbridge, a UK Border Agency initiative working in partnership with the Jamaican authorities, aimed at catching drug smugglers using the island as a gateway to the UK and Europe.Tony Walker, from the UK Border Agency, said: "The use of such young people in smuggling drugs demonstrates the ruthless nature of those criminal gangs involved in the illegal narcotics trade and the misery they cause. "The dedication of UK and Jamaican drug detection officers has prevented deadly class A drugs from entering the UK. "Operation Airbridge powerfully demonstrates the importance of working closely with other global partners such as Jamaica. This collaboration is helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."