Ryland D.D. Morgan , 26
Melvin A. Samuda (27)
Fitzroy A. Thompson (32)

Three men from Jamaica were sentenced in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday for having attempted to smuggle cocaine on board a cruise ship.

Judge Rob Goossens stated in his written verdict, which was read by his colleague Rene van Veen, that Ryland D.D. Morgan (26) was found guilty of having smuggled 1,091 grams of cocaine on board Celebrity Solstice while it was moored in St. Maarten on February 26.

Morgan was sentenced to 16 months. Two weeks ago, Prosecutor Rienk Mud had requested two years for all three men.

Morgan had told the police he had set up the illegal transport as a favour to a man who had been instrumental in his release from prison in Jamaica where he had been detained for armed robbery.

The drugs were hidden inside a laptop computer bag and in the soles of a number of sneakers. The drugs were to be taken to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Some of the drugs were hidden in the computer bag and were uncovered during a security check when Morgan had attempted to bring them on board the ship.

The rest of the drugs, which were hidden in a pair of white sneakers, were never found.

The judge considered it proven that Morgan’s accomplices Melvin A. Samuda (27) and Fitzroy A. Thompson (32) had taken the rest of the cocaine into the vessel.

It was considered proven that they had disposed of the quantity of cocaine, estimated at several hundred grams, by burning it in the ship’s incinerator.

Samuda and Thompson had told the police that they had panicked when they found out that Morgan was caught, and that they had burned the illicit drugs.

They will both have to spend four months in jail.