Six persons have been charged in St Thomas with the illegal abstraction of electricity, after several operations in the parish by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and the St Thomas police.

Dahlia Smith and Vincent Gregory, from Yallahs; Corrina Spaulding from Lloyds and Frank Lee of Old Pera, all pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared in the Resident Magistrate's Court in early July.

Lee and Gregory were fined $30,000 or six months imprisonment, while Smith was fined $20,000 and Spaulding $60,000, also with the possibility of six months imprisonment in lieu of payment.

Alecia Peart of Spring Pass in Yallahs and Kenisha-Lee Gayle of Port Royal Lane in White Horses, entered a plea of not guilty. Their cases are expected to be brought up for mention in the coming weeks.