Wayne Anthony Heslop
Event Date: May 17, 2007
Bruise: Drug Smuggling
Location: St. Maarten
Age: 36
Home Town: Jamaica
Details: Wayne Anthony Heslop age 36, along with Winston Cargill Lewis age 35 and Eucal Norman Patterson age 41, were arrested and convicted of attempting to smuggle 1 kilo of cocaine onboard Mariner Of The Seas while it was in St. Maarten berthed at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility.

They were found guilty on August 7, 2007 after admitting to the crime.

Lewis and Heslop said they were paid $3000 to smuggle the cocaine onboard Mariner, by a man they called "scarface", and hid the dope in their pants, unsuccessfully as they attempted to smuggle the cocaine to the United States.

All three men were from Jamaican, and were being held for deportation, after being given suspended sentences for time served.

They were found guilty by the Court of First Instance on Tuesday of the import of drugs, while a woman from Dominica was acquitted of smuggling of marijuana.

The three bearded Jamaicans Winston Cargill Lewis (35), Wayne Anthony Heslop (36) and Eucal Norman Patterson (41) were all arrested on May 17 for trying to smuggle cocaine on board the cruise ship Mariner of the Seas, which was berthed at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility. The drugs, approximately one kilo of cocaine, were destined for the United States.

Prosecutor Paul Mooij said he considered the charges proven. “They were caught in the act,” he said. Mooij said that in following the guidelines he should have asked for 15-month prison sentences, but because of the lack of jail capacity and the fact that the suspects had spent 82 days in police detention, for which they were entitled to compensation, he would ask for eight-month prison sentences and $3,000 fines.

All three were found guilty of the export of cocaine, for which they were convicted to eight months suspended with reduction of time already spent.

In the meantime, the three had been handed over to Immigration for repatriation to Jamaica.

Also arrested during this operation were six other smugglers. A 40-year-old woman from Dominica was acquitted of the charge that she had attempted to smuggle 23 kilos of marijuana on board a cargo ship on April 24, 2007. The illegal merchandise was found in four boxes that allegedly belonged to her. The woman imports fruit and vegetables from Dominica.

The woman denied she had anything to do with the drugs. According to her, the drugs were sent to St. Maarten by her estranged brother without her knowledge.

Prosecutor Dikran Sarian considered the allegations proven and asked for one year conditional with two years’ probation. He took into account that the woman had been severely abused during her pre-trial detention. A cell mate broke several of her ribs during a fight and she had suffered a punctured lung.

Judge Rick Smid decided to acquit the woman, because in his eyes it could not be established beyond reasonable doubt that the boxes in which the drugs were found had indeed belonged to the accused.

Other RCCL cruise ships smuggling cocaine and heroin out of the Caribbean, that were involved in major drug busts were Enchantment Of The Seas and Explorer Of The Seas.