Four Men Face Court Over EC$3 Million Cannabis Haul Seized at Pares Village Plantation

Four men have appeared before the Chief Magistrate charged in connection with one of the largest drug seizures recorded in Antigua and Barbuda in recent years — a combined haul of more than 1,200 pounds of cannabis with a street value exceeding EC$3 million, uncovered at an unlicensed plantation near Pares Village.

Rodwell McCurdy, Vincent Isaac, Garry Creighton, and Javen Ryner, all represented by attorney Craig Christopher, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel facing four serious charges: possession of cannabis, drug trafficking in relation to cured cannabis, possession of cannabis plants, and cultivation of cannabis plants.

The Scale of the Operation

The charges stem from a joint law enforcement operation carried out on June 4, when officers from the Narcotics Department, the K-9 Unit, the Gangs and Suppression Unit, and Customs Enforcement descended on the unlicensed cannabis plantation near Pares Village. What they uncovered was staggering in scale — 158.1 pounds of cured cannabis valued at approximately EC$455,400, and 1,119.1 pounds of cannabis plants carrying an estimated value of over EC$3 million.

Bail Granted with Strict Conditions

Chief Magistrate Emanuel granted bail to each of the accused in the sum of EC$500,000, with a mandatory cash component of EC$50,000 and the provision of two sureties.

The conditions attached to their release are stringent. Each man is required to report to the Parham Police Station every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. They are further prohibited from communicating with or interfering with any potential witnesses, must surrender all Antiguan and Barbudan travel documents, and are subject to an immediate travel ban at all ports of entry.

The matter has been adjourned to August 26, 2026, for committal proceedings.

The prosecution of the four men follows what had already been reported as one of the largest single cannabis seizures in recent Antiguan history. The size of the plantation — featuring both nearly 160 pounds of processed, cured cannabis ready for distribution and more than 1,100 pounds of growing plants — points to a well-established and commercially significant operation that had been developing for a considerable period before law enforcement apprehended these four men.