9 Jun 2012

Prison sentence for drug boss

3:48 pm on 9 June 2012

Jamaican drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke has been sentenced to 23 years in a US prison for trafficking in drugs and guns.

Coke, 43, pleaded guilty in August 2011.

His organisation trafficked marijuana, cocaine and firearms and enjoyed protection from Jamaica's ruling party. The BBC reports many of his supporters saw him as a benefactor.

An attempt to capture Coke in 2010 resulted in fatal clashes for five weeks in the capital, Kingston.

However, Prime Minister Bruce Golding eventually agreed to extradite him and signed an arrest warrant.

Coke was sentenced in the US District Court in Manhattan on Friday to 20 years in prison on the trafficking charge and three years for conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon.

Lawyer Stephen Rosen said his client will not appeal against the sentence.