WESTERN BUREAU:

Cameryn Harris-Love, the American woman who allegedly tried to smuggle nearly $15 million worth of cocaine out of Jamaica on December 4, has been denied bail due to not having a fixed Jamaican address, following her first appearance in the St James Parish Court on Friday.

Harris-Love, a 22-year-old student and business operator of a North Carolina address, appeared before presiding Parish Judge Kaysha Grant. She was remanded until December 16, following a failed bail application on her behalf by her attorney, Cadene Colman.

During the bail application, Colman argued that her client had come to Jamaica on vacation and had never been in any previous trouble with the law.

“My client indicates that she has absolutely no knowledge of the items (cocaine), and the police have indicated some things which she is challenging. She gave the police no trouble in searching her bag (at the time of her arrest), and she has never been in any kind of trouble with the police in any kind of way,” said Colman, who also noted that Harris-Love’s relatives had flown into Jamaica to offer support.

But in denying bail to Harris-Love, Grant pointed to the prosecution’s concern that the defendant did not have any Jamaican address or any local sureties who could bail her.

“She needs an established address with a Jamaican person, and the surety would have to be Jamaican. She is to be remanded in custody because she has no local attachments, plus she will not be allowed to travel and her travel documents will be taken away,” said Grant.

The matter was subsequently set for mention on December 16, to allow time for Harris-Love’s relatives to find suitable local sureties for her bail.

According to the allegations, on December 4 at approximately 12 noon, Harris-Love was at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, preparing to board a flight to the United States, when she was intercepted by members of the narcotics police.

Her suitcase and handbag were searched and false compartments were reportedly found in both of them. The compartments of both pieces of luggage were allegedly found to contain cocaine which weighed a combined 4.25 pounds, valued at $14.9 million.

Harris-Love was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of, dealing in, conspiracy to export and attempting to export cocaine.