In a recent push to crack down on illicit drug activity across the twin-island nation, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has scored a major win as part of its sustained crime reduction campaign. Law enforcement officers confiscated roughly 30 pounds of cannabis and more than EC$10,000 in mixed regional and U.S. currency during a targeted stop-and-search operation carried out Monday morning in the Creekside district.
The operation unfolded at approximately 7:45 a.m. on September 14, 2026, when members of the Criminal Investigations Department Task Force (CIDTF), a specialized unit focused on disrupting organized criminal activity, were conducting routine patrols and compliance checks in the Creekside area. During their patrol, officers intercepted a white Toyota Ractis carrying three male occupants, pulling the vehicle over for a mandated search under existing police powers.
Upon searching the interior and exterior of the vehicle, law enforcement personnel uncovered a large stash of plant material that field testing preliminarily identified as cannabis. Alongside the suspected narcotics, investigators also found a combination of Eastern Caribbean dollar banknotes and United States currency totaling more than EC$10,000, a sum believed to be proceeds from illegal drug trafficking.
All three men inside the vehicle were taken into police custody immediately, arrested on formal suspicion of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to traffic. They remain in detention as investigators carry out further questioning to build their case and uncover potential links to larger drug distribution networks operating in the region.
Under Antigua and Barbuda’s controlled substances laws, unlawful possession of large quantities of cannabis carries severe criminal penalties, including lengthy prison sentences and substantial fines. The seized narcotics, cash, and the suspect vehicle have been impounded by authorities as evidence, and remain part of an active, ongoing investigation into the case. The Royal Police Force has indicated it will release additional details to the public as the investigation progresses, reaffirming its commitment to rooting out drug-related crime and protecting community safety across the country.