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KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — Three Vincentian men will know over the next month what their fates will be after being found guilty in a case involving a major drug bust in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

According to Virgin Islands Platinum News, Senior Magistrate Valerie Stephens on Friday found Vincentians Gareth McDowall, Carlos Sutherland and Dexter Chance, along with BVI citizen Dale Nibbs, guilty of crimes related to the bust.

The case stemmed from a drug haul on Jan. 23, 2008, in which BVI police found 59 kilos of cocaine on board a chartered catamaran in the BVI.

The court said that two other British Virgin Islanders, who were also charged in connect with the drug find, were not guilty.

The Vincentians were charged with importation of cocaine while the British Virgin Islanders were charged with being concerned in the importation of cocaine, unlawful possession of cocaine and conspiracy to supply cocaine.

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The court ruled that Nibbs was only guilty of importing of cocaine and conspiracy to supply cocaine.

McDowall will be sentence on Oct. 26, Chance and Nibbs on Nov. 1, while Sutherland will have to wait a further eight days to know what penalty the court will impose out to him.

The 20 prosecution witnesses included Chesley Balkaran, who in 2008 pleaded guilty in relation to the same drug bust and was sentenced to four years in prison.

The Vincentians were extradited to British territory to face the courts.

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