Port police officer Yannick Leon has been charged and remanded in custody in connection with the importation of narcotics valued at more than $1.3 million.
Leon appeared before the First District Court earlier this week, where he was remanded until December 9, 2025, as investigations continue into what police have described as a major drug importation case involving forged documents and a fraudulent barrel shipment.
According to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), Leon, who was employed by the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), faces multiple charges, including Importation of a Controlled Drug, Possession with Intent to Supply, Fraudulent Evasion, Forgery, and Uttering a False Document.
The charges stem from a July 16, 2025 operation at Shed 6 of the Port Castries Seaport, where members of the Gangs, Narcotics, and Firearms Unit (GNFU) and the Customs and Excise Department searched a barrel that Leon had allegedly attempted to clear using a fraudulent Letter of Authorisation.
A subsequent search uncovered 19 sealed metal cans , 18 of which contained 14 packs of cannabis resin (hashish) each, and one with four. In total, officers seized 266 packs, weighing approximately 26.8 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of $1 340 000.
Leon was initially detained and later released pending further investigation. However, following what the GNFU described as “extensive evidence gathering, forensic analysis, and collaboration with partner agencies,” he was re-arrested on October 27 and formally charged two days later.
Police say the case represents a significant disruption to organised criminal activity and underscores the “critical importance of inter-agency cooperation and sustained investigative follow-up.”
Good job as an initial exercise in enforcing the laws of the land and working in collaboration. However, I am holding my breath to see how evidence gathered is secured, complied and presented before the courts for determination and conviction.
Typical fanfare news annoucement but history shows these high profile seizures and arrest has never ended in the expected convictions. That is due to evidence going missing, case files lost etc indicating the corruption accross agencies of the state. I pray this statement is proven wrong.
Authorization********