Briton accused of smuggling cocaine in craft items remanded

A BRITISH woman who reportedly attempted to smuggle $7.6-million worth of cocaine out of Jamaica inside a number of craft items was remanded until March 14, when she appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Sianece Clarke-Johnson, of a London, England address is charged with possession of, dealing in, and attempting to export cocaine. She was remanded by presiding parish judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce despite attempts by defence lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson to propose bail for his client.

“She is bi-based, meaning she resides in the United Kingdom and has relatives here. She came to Jamaica one week prior to her arrest, and she was stopped at the airport, and a quantity of cocaine to be determined, not an insignificant amount, was found secreted in some curios, like a wooden turtle. She indicated certain things to the officer by way of suggesting that she was acting under duress,” said Tavares-Finson.

“Exciting things happen in this parish, as bail was granted to two ladies who had relatives here, and they used a ‘bailer man’ who had no connection to them, in the sum of $1 million each, and in a few days they were off to the United States via boat. I am not prepared to go that route,” Grant-Pryce replied.

The judge was making reference to the case of Americans Regina West-Thompson and Simone Bolden, who absconded bail in 2021 despite stop-orders being in place to prevent them leaving Jamaica.

West-Thompson and Bolden were arrested in June 2021 after they were reportedly held with nine pounds of cocaine valued at $6.7 million at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and were each granted bail in the sum of $1 million on July 20 that year.

However, the court was later told on December 16, 2021 that West-Thompson and Bolden had absconded despite being placed under strict curfew orders and being ordered to report to the police daily. Grant-Pryce, who was the presiding judge in that matter, ordered bench warrants for the women’s arrest, though to date there has been no further report in relation to that case.

In the meantime, regarding the case against Clarke-Johnson, the court was told that the prosecution is awaiting a corroborating officer’s statement, a scene-of-crime statement, and a forensic certificate to be added to its case-file.

Grant-Pryce subsequently ordered that Clarke-Johnson should surrender her fingerprints to the police, and set the matter for continuation on March 14.

According to reports, on February 26, Clarke-Johnson checked i n at t he Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, to board a flight to London, England. During a search of her luggage, approximately 1.6 kilogrammes of cocaine was found concealled in Jamaican craft items.

Following the discovery, Clarke-Johnson was taken into police custody, and she was formally charged on February 29.