WESTERN BUREAU:
Alan Reid, the farmer who was reportedly held with US$420,000 (J$64.5 million) worth of drugs in his luggage while preparing to board a flight on October 1, is to return to court on January 30, 2023.
The matter was further delayed on Tuesday as the forensic certificate was still outstanding when he appeared before the St James Parish Court on Tuesday.
“The file is incomplete as the forensic certificate is outstanding, but three witness statements were submitted. So we are looking at a date [to mention the case] going toward the end of January,” Judge Sasha-Marie Ashley said after a brief discussion with the clerk of the court.
The judge said the outstanding document will reveal whether the substance found was cocaine.
The case’s current status is similar to what the court was told during Reid’s previous appearance on Wednesday, October 12, when it was disclosed that the forensic certificate was not ready.
Reid, 64, who is of addresses in Charlton, St Ann, and Thornton Heath, was reportedly preparing to board a flight to Manchester, England, at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, about 3:20 p.m.
While going through one of the security checkpoints, he was intercepted by officers and his luggage was searched. Six packages of a substance suspected to be cocaine, along with two packages of ganja, were reportedly discovered.
Under caution, Reid reportedly said, “Paul gave me the bags yesterday”, although it was not determined who he was referring to.
He was subsequently arrested and charged with possession, dealing, and attempting to export 8.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, and possession and attempting to export 2.03 ounces of ganja.
In another case on Tuesday, businessman Oral Johnson, who was allegedly held with 19 pounds of cocaine during a police operation in Coral Gardens on April 28, had his matter set for mention on February 2, 2023.