Several port employees have been taken into custody as law enforcement authorities investigate a suspected drug smuggling syndicate operating at the Kingston Container Terminal.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said the detentions followed the seizure of approximately J$1 billion (US$6.3 million) worth of cocaine earlier this week.
A statement from the JCF said a major multi-agency operation was conducted at the terminal on Friday by its Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) and the Jamaica Customs Agency, with support from the Specialised Operations Branch.
‘Several employees suspected of being part of a drug smuggling syndicate operating at the facility have so far been taken into custody,’ it disclosed.
The JCF added that the investigation is ongoing and further updates will be provided.
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited was under a virtual lockdown for several hours on Friday as security forces carried out the operation.
Citing a source close to the investigation who was not authorised to speak publicly, the newspaper reported that at least eight employees were detained and that their personal vehicles were searched.
According to the newspaper, investigators had been monitoring the movement of containers as part of an operation that led to the discovery of the cocaine.
The probe has also reportedly extended beyond Kingston, with premises in St Thomas and other parishes searched as authorities followed additional leads.
The latest operation comes amid a significant increase in cocaine seizures in Jamaica this year.
In June, the FNID said more than 5,100 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at approximately J$3 billion (US$18.9 million), had been seized during the first six months of 2026.
According to figures reported by the FNID at the time, the amount had already surpassed the combined cocaine seizures recorded during the previous six years and was more than twice the previous single-year record of 2,508 kilogrammes seized in 2024.