Assistant Superintendent of Police Frankie Thomas has defended a large-scale cannabis operation conducted Thursday near Pares Village, stating that authorities will continue to pursue illegal marijuana cultivation regardless of the country's decriminalisation laws. According to Antigua.news, the raid resulted in the seizure of more than 500 cannabis plants and close to 1,000 pounds of cured marijuana, with four men arrested at the scene and remaining in police custody as investigations continue.
Speaking to Observer Media following the operation, Thomas said the plantation uncovered by law enforcement bore no resemblance to the limited cultivation permitted under Antigua and Barbuda's legislation. He stressed that while the law allows individuals to possess small amounts of marijuana and cultivate up to four plants under certain conditions, commercial-scale cultivation requires specific licensing.
"There are two categories that one may obtain a licence to grow marijuana and that is for medicinal purposes: we have the medicinal licence and the sacramental licence. Clearly, what is happening here — none of these fall within this category," Thomas said.
Thomas confirmed that the operation was launched after authorities established that those involved did not hold the required licences to cultivate cannabis legally. "This operation was done as a result that the growers did not obtain or have in their possession any such licences, and again this clearly is a violation of the laws of Antigua and Barbuda and we must enforce the laws," he stated.
He made plain that police have no intention of overlooking illegal cannabis operations. "The illegal and unlawful cultivation of cannabis plants is something that we will not put up with," he said.
The raid began at approximately 10 a.m. and involved a multi-agency response, drawing officers from the Guns, Gangs and Suppression Unit, Special Services Unit, K-9 Unit, Customs Enforcement Team, Immigration Department, and the Narcotics Department.
Thomas praised the coordinated effort, describing national security as a shared responsibility. "We continue to work together because at the end of the day this is not just a police matter. The enforcement and the security of this country is a collaborative effort. We have external partners, we have law enforcement partners who work together with us ever so often to ensure the safety and security of our twin island state," he said.
The seized cannabis plants and cured marijuana are expected to be destroyed once the investigation is completed and the necessary legal procedures have been followed. Thomas declined to identify the four men taken into custody, noting only that investigations remain ongoing and that charges are anticipated.
The police administration has reiterated its commitment to enforcing the country's drug laws and preventing illegal narcotics from reaching the nation's youth and vulnerable communities.
