Five Hundred and seventy-seven pounds (577lb) of marijuana with a street value of J$110 million was seized by the Jamaica Customs Department during an operation with officers from the Jamaica Trans-national Crime and Narcotics Division (TCND) yesterday.

The drug was discovered after an empty trans-shipment container, which arrived in the island on January 20 via the Stadt Rotenburg from Suriname, was searched.

The 20ft container was among several others being transferred from Berth 9 to Gordon Cay for loading on to another vessel for export.

Examination of this container revealed six large travelling bags with 117 blocks of vegetable matter resembling marijuana. The drug was removed to the TCND for weighing and testing.

No arrests have been made in connection with this seizure; how-ever, investigations are continuing.