By Jada Chambers
Two St. Lucian ‘vacationers’ were ordered to pay EC$32,660 in cash immediately or face alternative prison time after a joint police operation intercepted them with a 24,606-gramme transnational drug shipment in Arnos Vale.
Kerry Edwards, a 31-year-old farmer and McGavin Willie, a 31-year-old — both of whom claimed they knew nothing about the contraband and were just in St. Vincent on holiday—were slapped with the heavy fines by Chief Magistrate Colin John on Tuesday. The duo was busted after Narcotics and Customs officers tracked a blue shipping barrel from the New Kingstown Port, watching as the men unpacked over 24,000 grammes of cannabis and hashish hidden inside peanut butter jars, sheet sets, and cereal boxes.
Edwards and Willie appeared at the Serious Offences Court where they were sentenced for illegally possessing a controlled drug to wit, 20,974 grammes of cannabis resin, with intent to supply it to another; and for the purpose of drug trafficking; and the importation of a controlled drug. They were also sentenced for committing the same three offences with 3,632 grammes of cannabis. The six offences were committed in Arnos Vale on October 9, 2026, at approximately 9 a.m.
The facts are that on the date in question, the party of officers headed by Inspector Millington took up strategic positions to monitor a consignment — a blue barrel — bearing the name Hilda Thomas of Fancy. Police followed the truck from the port to the Arnos Vale residence, where it was delivered. Sergeant 508 Huggins subsequently obtained a search warrant for the property.
Upon arrival at the house at approximately 1:20 p.m. that day, Huggins and other officers surrounded the property and knocked on the slightly open front door. After identifying themselves as police officers, Huggins heard rumbling coming from inside the house and smelled a strong odour of cannabis. PC Morgan then went to the back of the house. The men were seen in the kitchen taking items out of the barrel and placing them on the floor.
Huggins knocked on the door but no one answered. Willie ran from the kitchen into a bedroom. Huggins entered the house through the main door with the warrant. PC Morgan entered through the kitchen door. The warrant was read and shown to the men. Huggins searched the blue barrel and found several sealed packages. Some contained plant materials resembling cannabis, while others contained resin-like substance resembling hashish hidden in cereal boxes, some of which bore the markings ‘TEMPLE ROOM’.
Huggins showed the substances to the men and cautioned them to which they both responded: ‘Officer, me ain’t know nothing about the barrel. A man dropped the barrel here and told us to search it. We here on vacation.’ The men were then arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug and taken to the Narcotics Base, where a complete search of the barrel and its contents were conducted in their presence.
Officers discovered 12 transparent packages containing plant-like materials resembling that of cannabis hidden in several cereal boxes. They also found 77 transparent packages containing brown, sticky substances resembling hashish concealed in sheet sets, cereal boxes, a mop box and inside bottles of peanut butter. Huggins then pointed out the offences of drug possession with intent to supply, drug trafficking and importation to both men.
When Huggins cautioned them, the men denied knowledge of the contents. The packages containing cannabis were weighed in their presence and amounted to 3,362 grams. The 77 packages containing the substance resembling hashish amounted to 20,974 grammes. Both men were later charged with the aforementioned offences. They had earlier arrived to St Vincent last week Thursday via speed boat and were cleared at the Chateaubelair Port.
Police said that their arrest shows a network of organised and transnational crime between Canadians, St. Lucians and Vincentians. Edward and Willie were fined EC$4,600 forthwith for possessing 20,974 grammes of cannabis resin with intent to supply to another; EC$18,020 forthwith for trafficking the drug; and EC$4,400 forthwith for importing it. Edward and Willie were also fined EC$800.00 forthwith or for possessing 3,632 grammes of cannabis with intent to supply it to another; EC$800.00 forthwith for importing it; and EC$4,040.00 forthwith trafficking it. Failure to pay the fines will result in a three year concurrent prison sentence.