A 27-year-old man who was recently nabbed at the Norman Manley Inter-national Airport with more than 500 grams (1lb) of ganja was sentenced in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

He is Romandee Forbs, of a St Elizabeth address, who was sentenced to $2,800 or six months for possession of ganja, $5,600 or six months for dealing in ganja and $140,000 and nine months in prison on the taking steps to export ganja charge.

Meanwhile, the conspiracy charge was withdrawn.

Allegations are that on May 4 at about 12:15 p.m., the accused was about to board a Caribbean Airlines flight to Barbados when he was stopped and interviewed by the police.

It is reported that after a search of Forbs' luggage, three rectangular parcels of ganja were found in a false compartment of his luggage.

Forbs' attorney, Vincent Wellesley who asked the court for leniency for his client, said that Forbs was promised US$3,000 (J$255,000) to carry the drugs, but he was never paid.

The attorney said that his client from a tender age was met with great difficulties as his mother left him with a female guardian at the age of seven months in Elizabeth.

However, the attorney further reasoned that after the guardian moved to Kingston she died and he was forced out of the home.

Forbs' the attorney said, was pressured into doing the wrong thing because of financial difficulties.