A Christ Church fisherman has been fined $30 000 after admitting to trafficking more than 70 kilogrammes of cannabis within Barbados’ territorial waters.

Troy Decourcey Best, of Inch Marlow, Christ Church, had previously appeared before Justice Anthony Blackman in Supreme Court No. 3A and admitted that on January 18, 2019, he possessed, trafficked and imported 71.6 kilogrammes of cannabis.

The court heard that the Coast Guard received information about a fishing vessel and, whilst on patrol, saw the boat with two persons on board heading in their direction. But the boat immediately turned away when the Coast Guard turned on its strobe lights, heading back in the direction it had come, with the occupants throwing packages into the sea. The Coast Guard brought their vessel alongside the boat and instructed the captain of the Moses-type boat to stop, and he complied.