A resident of Bendals Village has received a 30-month prison sentence following a guilty plea to drug trafficking charges connected to a major cannabis seizure at Deep Water Harbour. Damar Stapleton’s sentencing was handed down Friday in the High Court by Justice John Spencer, after the defendant entered his guilty plea to cannabis trafficking charges on May 12.
The conviction traces back to a coordinated law enforcement operation conducted jointly by local police and Customs officials on March 8, 2024. During the targeted operation at the port, authorities discovered 41 pounds of cannabis hidden inside two unmarked shipping boxes. Investigators estimate the seized narcotics have a street value of roughly $246,000.
Stapleton remains before the courts on a separate set of drug charges tied to an alleged second smuggling attempt at Deep Water Harbour just five days after the first seizure. The March 13, 2024 incident sees the defendant accused of importing an additional 20 pounds of cannabis, with pending charges including possession of cannabis, possession with intent to transfer the controlled substance, and taking part in the illegal supply of the drug. A trial or further hearings for these outstanding charges are expected to be scheduled in coming months.