News

WEED UNDER COPS' NOSE - Drugs being sold near police station

GANJA SELLERS ARE doing brisk business right in front of the Darling Street Police Station as well as in the Municipal Bus terminus which adjoins the police station, investigation by THE STAR has revealed.

The operation continues despite raids by the police in and around the area in the past.

However, based on the action of the weed vendors, it seemed they conducted their business with little or no hindrance from the police who were even present in the bus park at the time the news team was present in the area.

For the duration of the visit, along Darling Street heading into the bus park, THE STAR news team was approached by three of the men. The news team was stopped twice while on Darling Street near the police station and in the bus park which adjoins the police station.

The men, who did not make any effort to conceal the drug, sold parcels of the illegal substance for as low as $20 per bag. However, there were $30 bags as well as $100 packages.

"Dis a di highest grade yuh a go get anyweh in town. A Wes' an' Sainty (St. Elizabeth) dis come from," said one vendor as he offered a small bag to the news team. With the news team showing no interest, he dropped his goods in a white plastic bag which he carried and moved towards the bus park.

The lack of interest by the news team did not bother him as he moved on to another man who bought a $20 bag.

Minutes later, the news team was approached by another man armed with four ganja stalks as well as a black plastic bag which he said contained $20 parcels. He even offered wrizzler for sale adding that selling the paper often guaranteed that his customers returned.

"Yuh si when mi sell unnu di weed and wrizzler unnu we always buy from me when unnu si mi so dat's why mi sell di two a dem," he said as he took out the pack of paper and showed it to the news team.

While in the bus park, the news team was approached by another man also carrying a plastic bag as well as a metal wire with ganja attached. He told THE STAR that each bag was for $20. Shortly after, a poice vehicle with four police officers arrived. The man moved to another section of the park where he sold a few bags from the wire and then left while watching the police who had stopped to talk to a man.

When contacted, the Kingston Western Police Division under whose aegis the Darling Street Police Station falls, said they knew of ganja selling downtown in and around the area of the market and said arrests have been made in the past.

"I know that this activity takes place in the market and in the general area of the market. We have carried out raids in the area as well as an area called Grass yard and people have been arrested," said Superintendent Gary Griffiths, head of the division.

"Both Kingston Western and Kingston Central which borders that area has made raids and people have been arrested but the area is almost like a drug den. But everytime we raid we make arrests," he said.