By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN and US law enforcement officers seized over $1 million worth of suspected marijuana during a high speed boat chase in East Grand Bahama, but the two suspects were able to escape after running the vessel aground in shallow waters.

This is the largest single drug seizure this year on Grand Bahama.

According to reports, shortly before 1am yesterday, a suspicious 20-ft white single engine vessel with two men on board was spotted off the coast of High Rock, East End.

A team of local officers as well as counterparts from the US Drug Enforcement Administration were on patrol in the area at the time.

The two male suspects on seeing the police vessel took off at high speed to evade law enforcement officials, who gave chase. The vessel was intercepted in an area off Gold Rock Creek, where the suspects ran their vessel aground in shallow waters and escaped in the bushes.

When officers boarded the vessel, they discovered some 23 crocus bags of suspected marijuana with an estimated street value of $1.3 million.

• Last week, three Grand Bahama men were arrested off South Andros after they were allegedly caught with almost $4 million worth of what was suspected to be marijuana. Some 84 crocus bags of marijuana, weighing 3,870 pounds with an estimated value of $3,870,000, were discovered on board their vessel. The men have since been charged in Nassau.