The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

EIGHT men were arraigned in Magistrates Court yesterday accused of plotting to import and possess more than $1 million worth of marijuana with the intent to supply.

In their appearance before Magistrate Andrew Forbes on charges of conspiracy to import dangerous drugs and conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply, Long Islander Allan Knowles, 38; South Biminite Devard Dames, 37; and Eleutherans Valencio Darling, 39, Kendrick Smith, 31, Elridge Bowleg, and 38 Donovan Seymour pleaded not guilty along with Nassau residents Ramond Colebrooke, 37, of St Vincent Road and Samiko Rigby, 26, of Boyd Road.

Only Dames, Colebrooke, Rigby and Knowles faced the remaining two charges: importation of dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, to which they pleaded not guilty.

It is claimed that the defendants committed the offences on October 24.

On the day in question DEU officers, acting on intelligence, went into Gregory Town, Eleuthera, around 3.30am and seized a number of bags of containing suspected marijuana. The officers, who were assisted by Exuma and Eleuthera police, became involved in a chase that led them to Current Island where they intercepted a boat containing the suspected drugs and four occupants. Prosecutor ASP Ercell Dorsett noted that the 1,374 pounds of drugs had an estimated wholesale value of $1.3 million.

The eight men will stand trial in connection with the seizure on February 17, 2014 and were remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison until that time because they are ineligible for bail in Magistrates Court. However, they were advised of their right to apply for bail in Supreme Court. Simeon Brown, Phillip Hilton, Jomo Campbell and Davard Francis appeared for the defendants.