Haiti, because of its porous borders, has become the preferred route from which to ship ganja to the United States. A source, knowledgeable about the illicit business, discloses that when the ganja is to be sent to Haiti, contact is made with local fishermen to transport the weed.

He says in many instances the persons making the contact are either Haitian businessmen, taking care of their business from this end, or wealthy Jamaicans.

Just for making the trip to Haiti, boat owners collect J$50,000 for the approximately 135-mile journey.

Eluding the law

The insider says the trick to eluding law enforcement authorities is to leave Jamaican coastline late at nights and ending up in Haitian waters by midmorning.

"Here is how it works," the source explains. "It's just like taking a taxi. The organiser or 'big shot' himself will come into the area and do a stakeout. He will find out who has the best boats, and is available for hire. He goes away and returns or sends his people to make the deal with the captain."

Once the deal is brokered and dates and times are worked out, preparation begins in earnest.

Everybody involved

"Everybody concerned gets involved. The owner of the boat starts stocking up. You see him buying extra food and water and everything for the trip is bought right here. What will give him away now is the amount of petrol he buys. The trip to Haiti takes much more fuel than if he was just going out to sea to fish," our insiders says.

He continues: "The ganja is brought in, bales of it, for it is the bigger boats they use. The high-powered twin-engine ones are preferred. This is loaded just after dark from a particular section of the beach. After this is done, they head out just after dark."

An ex-captain picks up the story: "There is a little isle about 18 miles off the coast of Haiti where the captain docks here and wait. He then crawls from this isle into the mainland. He meets his contact and the exchange is made."

He adds that once the weed is delivered, payment in the region of US$15,000 to US$20,000 is collected. Guns, he says, are used to supplement monetary payment for the drug.

According to the insider, Jamaican fishermen return with about 20 guns each trip.