Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter

With his job now on the line, a 25-year-old police constable was interrogated for several hours again on Monday by narcotics detectives. They are continuing their investigations into the seizure of 80 pounds of compressed ganja, which was allegedly found inside the constable's private motor car.

Reports reaching The Gleaner are that the policeman, who has under three years' service and is attached to the Manchioneal Police Station in Portland, was driving the vehicle, accompanied by a civilian, when the narcotics police intercepted him along the St. Margaret's Bay main road in the parish shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"His (the constable's) car has also been seized and he should be appearing before the court later this week," head of the Narcotics Department, Senior Superintendent Carlton Wilson, told The Gleaner on Monday.

Massive Finds

The narcotics police have been very active on the streets over the past week. Last Friday night they were involved in a massive ganja find of more than 7,000 pounds at premises on Bay Farm Road, St. Andrew. Three days earlier they seized close to 6,000 pounds of ganja on East Lane, off Elletson Road in eastern Kingston. Two of the men who were picked up in connection with Friday night's find are still being questioned by the police.

Since the the launch of the Professional Standards Branch a year ago, a number of police personnel who are alleged to be involved in acts of corruption have been arrested.

Acts of corruption

Status of cases sent by Professional Standards Branch to DPP - 2005

Sixty-six case files sent to DPP

Forty-two criminal charges made

Nine cases referred for departmental action

Two cases referred to coroner's inquest

Ten cases had no action recommended Between January and March of this year, the PSB said it received and investigated 54 reports made against members of the police force. Unprofessional conduct and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act accounted for 70 per cent of the offences.