Police investigators have laid charged against the businessman who was arrested in connection with last week’s major cocaine bust in Coral Gardens, Montego Bay, St James.
According to a statement issued by the police’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), 43-year-old Oral Johnson, of Garden in Westmoreland, has been charged with being in possession of 24 pounds of cocaine valued at J$82.5 million.
Johnson is also charged with dealing in cocaine, taking steps to export cocaine and trafficking cocaine.
Parish Court judge, Sasha Ashley, had given the police until Thursday to charge or release Johnson after his attorney filed a writ of habeas corpus before the St James Parish Court.
Allegations are that the narcotics police and soldiers were conducting a major operation on April 26 when a car driven by Johnson was intercepted in Coral Gardens and the cocaine found.
During further operations, a property in Coral Gardens was searched and this led to the seizure of an additional quantity of illegal drugs as well as cash amounting to more than US$3.8 million and CAD$30,000.
