KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – A Dominica court on Thursday fined Vincentian Irwin Miller EC$63,000 in relation to several drugs smuggling offenses.
Miller, 42, was jointly charged with Dominicans Yohan Flynn, Gerald Germain, John Sylvester, and Craig Cochrane after a drug bust around 1:30 a.m. in Jan. 6
The Vincentian pleaded guilty to four offenses earlier this month and Chief Magistrate Evelina Baptiste gave him the option of paying fines or going to jail for up to two years, according to Dominica News Online.
The five men are also charged with conspiracy to import marijuana, an indictable offense, which will be heard by the High Court.
Miller pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, possession and intent to supply 22 pounds of marijuana, importation of marijuana, and illegal entry into Dominica.
Drug and marine law officers, who were wearing night vision goggles, intercepted Miller, who arrived in Dominica on a boat from Martinique around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 6.
When the vessel arrived at Soufriere, two men got off, taking with them a plastic bag containing marijuana. They then met another individual with a bus in the area, Dominica New Online said, cited police.
Miller is said to have told Dominican police that he was wounded and bleeding. He was then warded at a Dominica health facility for a few days.
When asked about the drug, he is said to have told police, “I just bring that down from St Vincent.”
The other defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.