A 24-year-old ship worker was on Monday sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in the Corporate Area resident Magistrate's Court for using his position aboard the vessel to export marijuana among other drug-related offences.

Charged with dealing, possession, taking steps preparatory to export ganja is Waynesworth Dawkins.

He pleaded guilty to all counts.

The court heard that Dawkins was seen boarding the vessel carrying a red and black knapsack.

Allegations are that he refused a search when asked and later disembarked the vessel leaving the bag.

Security personnel later found it and Dawkins was contacted.

The court was told that when he was cautioned he said, "Mi nuh know how mi get myself ina this, is a misunderstanding."

A search was conducted and the drug was found wrapped in rectangular parcels.

The drug weighed 15.4 pounds (7.01 kilograms).

Dawkins' attorney requested a non-custodial sentence, however, Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey was not of that view.

He was fined $15,000 or six months for possession, $448,000 or six months for dealing and $97,600 for taking steps to export, plus 18 months.

RM Pusey said, "He is an employee of the ship and he used his position and go stash it on the ship if it had not been for the vigilance of his co-workers he would have got away with it. What is peculiar about him, why he shouldn't go to prison because you say it is out of his character?"