By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THREE Bahamian men are in police custody after they were caught with more than half a million dollars worth of marijuana on Tuesday afternoon.

The drug bust happened around 3:30pm in Coral Harbour.

According to reports, Drug Enforcement Unit Officers acting on intelligence led a team of officers into the Coral Harbour area, east of the round-about.

While conducting surveillance in the area officers stopped a black 2005 Cadillac vehicle occupied by the three suspects.

The officers conducted a search of a nearby dirt road and discovered a number of packages each containing a quantity of suspected marijuana.

The three suspects ages 33, 34 and 31 were taken into custody for questioning in reference to this seizure.

The total weight of the marijuana is 570 pounds with an estimated street value of $570,000.

Investigations are continuing.

This latest seizure comes one month after officers discovered more than $1m worth of marijuana in Exuma, hours after they seized $2m worth of marijuana on a boat in waters off New Providence.

In a previous interview, officer-in-charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit, Supt Samuel Butler, said: “There has been an increase in the trafficking movement, which has led to an increase in seizures. I can’t say why it has increased but from my point of view it seems that more Bahamians are making an effort to go into producing countries, like Jamaica, and actually retrieve the drugs and bring it back themselves.”

So far, for the year, police have captured more than $12m worth of marijuana and $13m worth of cocaine.