Three charged on Nevis for illegal drugs, house breaking…
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE St. Lucian captain of the vessel that was caught on Saturday (Sept. 1) in the Federation’s territorial waters carrying a large quantity of cocaine was sentenced to serve two years with hard labour at Her Majesty’s Prison.
The captain, 56-year-old Vincent Clerice of Marigot, St. Lucia, appeared last Wednesday (Sept. 5) before Her Worship Josephine Mallalieu-Webbe at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charges of possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply to another and importation of cocaine into the Federation.
Clerice pleaded guilty to all three charges but was convicted for importation of cocaine into the Federation and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour.
He was also fined EC$1M to be paid in nine months and, if in default, will have to serve an additional four-year term in prison with hard labour.
Nixon Alexander of Marigot, St. Lucia, was also aboard the vessel and the said charges were proffered against him.
The 42-year-old crew member pleaded not guilty to the charges and they were subsequently withdrawn. However, Chief Magistrate Mallalieu-Webbe ordered that he be deported to his country of birth at the earliest opportunity, and that order was executed on the following day.
The Chief Magistrate also ordered that the vessel involved in the transshipment of the illicit drugs be forfeited to the Crown and be advertised in the local media for sale at a public auction.
At about noon on Saturday (Sept. 1), during a joint Maritime Anti-Narcotics Operation between the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force’s Coast Guard and the Dutch Navy Frigate HR. MS. TROMP (F-803), a white 15.36-metre United Kingdom-registered yacht bearing the name SINESTRA PROVE was sailing in the Old Road area.
Members aboard the Dutch vessel had observed the crew of the SINESTRA PROVE jettisoning some bags into the Caribbean Sea, and on closing with the yacht they recovered six bags from the water.
On examination of the bags, it was discovered that they each contained 20 three-inch thick 12-inch long packages of a white substance, which was tested and proved to be cocaine amounting to 120 kilos.
A recent press release from the Police Public Relations Office however said, “Further evaluation of the drug revealed that it was 134.108 kilograms at an estimated street value of EC$11,816,255.00.”
Documents aboard the yacht indicated that Clerice was both captain and owner while Alexander was the lone crew member. Both men and the illegal drugs were handed over to the police after the yacht was escorted to the Coast Guard Base at Bird Rock and they were subsequently charged.
Meanwhile, on Nevis, the release indicated that Mickaly Mitcham of Jessups Village was charged for possession of cannabis; an offence he allegedly committed in his home village on Friday (Sept. 7).
Also, Rohan Hutton of Central Alley in Gingerland and Wilson Jones of Stoney Grove were charged with house breaking, larceny and receiving, committed between June 22 and July 24, 2012.
