Tivoli under satellite surveillance

Americans said to have audio, video recordings of Gov't officials in community

Sunday, March 14, 2010

TIVOLI Gardens, the tough West Kingston base of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, is under satellite surveillance by United States authorities who are determined to have Coke extradited to answer drug- and gun-running charges in New York, the Sunday Observer has learnt.

According to a security expert with knowledge of the operation, the US has powerful audio and video evidence of activities involving Coke, as well as several Government officials, including members of the legislature, inside the Tivoli Gardens community centre.

With the use of Satellite Internet Telemetry System (SIMS) similar to that used to record wildlife activities, the US has captured the make, colour and licence plates of vehicles entering and exiting Tivoli Gardens at specific periods, as well as conversations, the expert said.

The SIMS, the expert said, is very simple to operate.

"Satellite service is available anywhere in the world for the system to operate. The data is transmitted from the Satellite Telemetry System based on programmed time intervals and/or alarms. It is transferred through satellite and Internet to a dedicated web page, and you can monitor and collect that data as long as you have web access," the expert said.

"It is very simple. Set your co-ordinates, hook up your sensors, point the antenna to the sky, and turn on your equipment," added the expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Wire-tapping communication is an insignificant part of the evidence against Coke," said the expert in reference to Prime Minister Bruce Golding's claim that the evidence supporting the extradition request violated the Interception of Communications Act which makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed.

Also captured, the expert said, was a gathering of some Government officials, along with individuals from the Tivoli Gardens community making and smoking what appeared to be marijuana spliffs at the centre, on different occasions.

"The United States is making sure that its case against Coke is airtight, and until he is extradited every Jamaican entering the US will be targeted. The US will not relent on this one," said the expert who met with the Sunday Observer on Friday night.

Relations between Kingston and Washington have deteriorated over the extradition request, with the US State Department accusing the Jamaican Government of delaying tactics.

Two Mondays ago, in a scathing Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the Americans questioned Jamaica's commitment to law enforcement co-operation and charged that "Jamaica's processing of the extradition request has been subjected to unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US' compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law".

The US also said that the Jamaican Government's handling of the extradition request marked a dramatic change in Kingston's previous co-operation on extradition, including a temporary suspension in the processing of all other pending requests.

The US also labelled Jamaica as the Caribbean's largest supplier of marijuana to the United States as well as a transshipment point for cocaine entering South America.

"The Government of Jamaica's ambitious anti-corruption and anti-crime legislative agendas announced in 2007 remain stalled in Parliament," said the report.

"Five anti-crime proposals under consideration as part of an extensive agenda to address the widespread crime challenges have yet to be debated by Parliament," added Washington, which noted that Jamaica is a party to the 1988 United Nations Drug Convention.

However, the following day, Golding rejected the US' charges and said that the evidence presented in the extradition request -- made in August last year -- breached Jamaican law.

"The Jamaican Government, rather than summarily refusing the request, discussed with the US authorities the breaches that had occurred which made it impossible for the minister (of justice), being aware of such breaches, to issue the authority to proceed," Golding said in an address to the Parliament.

"In an effort to overcome the impediment... the Jamaican Government indicated to the US authorities that if other evidence existed, the procurement and disclosure of which were not in violation of Jamaican law, the minister would be prepared to accept that evidence and issue the necessary authority to proceed. No such evidence has up to now been presented," he added.

On Friday, the security expert said that American border officials are turning up the heat on Jamaicans who have massive personal wealth but who have no supporting documentation to show how the wealth was gained.

A list viewed by the Sunday Observer includes some of Jamaica's well-known officials, as well as business people of both genders. They are described as having "massive personal wealth", which is said to have raised red flags at US borders.

The spotlight on these individuals has not come as a surprise to University of Miami Law Professor David Rowe, who remained consistent in his view that Coke is an albatross around the neck of the prime minister, the Jamaica Labour Party and the Government.

"There is no question that they are being targeted," Rowe said. "Where the individuals have amassed wealth in a short period of time and without any corresponding income to corroborate it is an automatic red flag to the US Justice Department."

Rowe as well as Sunday Observer sources in the US believe that embarrassing times are ahead for several Jamaican business officials at US borders, even if the Government hands over Coke.

Information reaching the Sunday Observer is that several Jamaicans who have amassed large personal wealth but who are unable to provide credible sources of income are currently in detention centres in the US.

Massive unexplained wealth is said to have been the reason behind an upstanding Jamaican businessman being detained in the US for several hours on a return trip to the island in early January.

It is also said to be the reason for the detention without bond -- at Krome Avenue Detention Centre in Florida -- of a Jamaican man of Chinese descent.

The man and another Jamaican/Chinese are said to have arrived in the US on March 2 on an Air Jamaica flight.

The man, whose Alien card number was supplied to the Sunday Observer, was said to have had his Green Card revoked. He did not respond to our request for an interview last Thursday.

Late last week, the influential Economist magazine reported that American authorities have become frustrated at what they see as foot-dragging by Jamaica's Government over the Coke extradition request.

The article, titled 'Seeking Mr Coke: American anger at Jamaica's slowness in handing over an alleged gang boss', said "if the United States' allegations of political links are well-founded, some Jamaican public figures may fear that Mr Coke's arrest would lead to the disclosure of embarrassing information".

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COMMENTS (26)

Marcel Anderson
5/26/2010

the world we living in is untamed, I will agree with "renrick hall in his Posting in-particular his understanding of Google Map..We as are not allowed to take advantage of the full potential of Google Earth Or Google Map as civilians, Google Map OR Google Earth is an old version of the current Version the military of these first world nations are using, they can pick up anything they want using these technology and intercept you whenever they choose in real-time (Live).

Hernel Latty
3/14/2010

It is possible to collect/view images anywhere using satellite. But to view inside a building or a lic. plate is not practical. To hear a conversation in my view is not possible either.

renrick hall
3/14/2010

As an ex-military man I was exposed to GPS technology from in the 1980s, when it was being watered down for use by civilians (driving directions etc.) What you all need to know is that you are limited in your understanding how these systems work for the military and intelligence gathering purposes; and that it has been used successfully in matters like these for many years, prior to you being exposed to the little use you know of. The same Google earth that you play with, has been banned in it's full extent in some European countries, because it gives real time information and is therefore a breach of the basic rights of the citizens...too revealing.
Wake up guys and know that your limitations do not mean that the way you know it is the way it is. Forget what you may know and get the facts on the potential of the system and then you will understand the what we are up against.
My fear with all of this is that, if due diligence does not occur and if the proper rule of law is not exercised, Jamaica will suffer.

Wicked Wisdom
3/14/2010

WHO INVESTIGATES THE US.?
ALOT OF COUNTRY IN THE WORLD NEVER SIGN THIS SO CALL EXTRADITION TREATY'' SO WHY JAMAICA SIGNED IT.? WHY WASNT IT PUT BEFORE THE NATION BEFORE IT WAS MADE OFFICIALLY LAW.?

real southy
3/14/2010

everytime i read any article as soon as i see the name David Rowe mention i stop reading. this is the same guy who defended Olint when any sensible person could see it was a ponzi scheme,yet the Observer keep talking to him like he,s some brilliant mind. please.if he's so brilliant why did he get trick by a ponzi scheme. i dhave no degree and i knew not to put any money there. i'm going to check the U website to see if he really works there

John Smith
3/14/2010

Eearlier in the last decade (2Ks) most experts think military satellite imagery was bordering on 10cm resolution. If find it very, extremely unlikely that they're now at the point where images can be at the resolution required to capture license plates (1-2 cm or less), but you never know since it's so highly secretive and they're always pushing boundaries.
Contrary to what some people are saying, you can definitely make out the make of a vehicle and you can identify individuals simply based on their overal feature set (height, build, hair colour, skin tone, dress code). You can also spot license plates because satellite imagery is taken from above, but at an oblique angle, so you look from far up, but sideways, just like flying in a plane and looking out the window. Since government license plates are yellow - of a specific colour - they're easy to identify. You don't need to see the numbers, just the colour.
Images in the public domain - including Google Earth - are nowhere near the resolution of military class satellite imagery. The best you'll get from Google Earth is 0.5m resolution, and history has shown that military is always likely to be 10 times better than that - do the math.
Still though I take this with a BLOCK of salt.

mark jones
3/14/2010

I wouldnt be surprised if this were true, because i have seen the capability of these satellite technology and the US gvt is always several steps ahead of industry standards.....
Besides ever heard of drones??

Sad Jamaican
3/14/2010

All of you here, who are disputing the technology are idiots. What you saw on "Enemy of the State" is old, old, technology. Over 40 years in the making. It wasn't science fiction when we saw it on the screen, but was already in use.
It was during Bill Clinton's administration that this technology was made available to the civilian population, long after the US military had developed more sophisticated methods of intelligence gathering, which was even stepped up after 9/11. So continue to pooh-pooh the concept. You are going to eat your words when it is revealed where science has taken us.

Leslie George
3/14/2010

"nonsense: firstly satellite images are taken from above and license plates cannot be viewed from above."
one jam, the earth isn't flat.

Tony Walker
3/14/2010

LOL...LOL
Please Jamaican does not subscribe to this crap that they post as a fact but not even half fiction.
This 1/2 of so called "expert" is feeding the ignorants with his fiction.
The unfortunate thing is that many Jamaicans tend to subscribe and believe these fictions.
Some of we Jamaicans tend to like to run with things and never take the time out to research.
I am in total agreement with Michael Fox posting.
The more surprising this is the Observer give a space for this posting on the front page...lol..Then again it is freedom of speech.

kgn 13 yute
3/14/2010

Was this what the previous administration meant when they mentioned "" NIGHTMARE ""

3/14/2010

One Jam i agree with you 100% they are trying to use fear tactic to fuel ignorance. Infact i am a regular user of google earth and I have never been able to make out a licence plate

Wa Tch
3/14/2010

Not true onejam I have seen license plate number via google map.
Nevertheless I doubt this expert's account of the activities of the US govt.

KDN Mazerati
3/14/2010

I hope this story was verified before it was published here, today. There are several issues that this story brings up. First, Jamaica is a sovereign country and any surveillance of it's people's coming and goings would violate that, if not sanctioned by the Gov't. Second, If the U.S did breach the Com. Act then the PM is right to stand his ground. Evidence acquired via a breach of the U.S constitution is subject to the exclusionary rule in the U.S therefore, although the U.S is not subject to Ja laws, when seek extradition of a person w/I that jurisdiction they must abide by Ja laws. Retaliatory cancellation of visas is bullying. Detaining people who have unexplained wealth is a violation of the 4th amdt in the U.S. There are many hoodlums in America w/unexplained wealth that aren't being rounded up and detained. This story should have been checked for credibility before going to print.

Dean Spencer
3/14/2010

The actual resolution ability of military satellites is classified, it may well be far superior to what we think is currently possible. To the poster who stated that satelittes can only take pictures from directly overhead, thats not quite correct, LEO low earth orbit satellites, which most military spy satellites are rise and set like the sun several times per day the elevation angle varies from 0-90-0 degrees, if you can use a binoculars and check a license plate from a tall building with an angle to the car of 45-60 degrees then the satellite can do the same.
The SIMS explanation was most likely the general principle of the system rather than what actually occurs, most people do not realize that the US military operates a parallel "Internet" with their own routers, switches etc all highly encrypted, so its quite possible for them to be clandestinely uplinking data using the own military network. However if this report is true what this means to me that there are local persons in TG who have planted these devices in TG that are relaying the data to the spy satellites

3/14/2010

So those of us who go to Coronation Market and park in the Tivoli Gardens parking lot are being monitored? Well mi nah stop going there to shop. This is a part of the fear tactic that people in this society are subjecting us to. It has worked in the past but we know that the Americans are not as silly as we are. In fact they think this ignorance is laughable

Jay Brown
3/14/2010

Ever heard of the US drone, flying unmanned at altitudes of up to 5 miles undetected.
Go Google it and while at it get a free copy of Google earth. Type in Tivoli Gardens, Kingston Jamaica.

josh davis
3/14/2010

one jam..tell that to the Israelis who use such technology every single day..

josh davis
3/14/2010

micheal..the observer's expert usually know exactly what they are saying,what you are calling a ''system'' is a technology..i can use a boat to fish and other liesure activity ,i can also use it for scientific research and can also use it to spy on people..''internet'' is not the same as the ''www''.
if we have apps on our phones that can give us our exact location via sat and that is just 1970s tech.why is it so hard for you to believe that people use satelite to spy?
are you stuck in the 50s ?

Brooklyn Jamaican
3/14/2010

Don't be silly. Should the pursuit of all criminals stop until Bin Laden is found?

Brooklyn Jamaican
3/14/2010

THey keep talking about potential "embarrassment". What about potential convictions.
WE Jamaicans are trifling, we use words like corruption when it is criminality. WE talk about area leaders when they are crime bosses. WE call them contractors when they are extortioners.
I always knew the chief defender was book smart but not street savvy at all.

Michael Fox
3/14/2010

Was this so called "expert" verified? This system is used to collect environmental data (temperature, humidity, etc). Its higihly unlikely that US government officials would even use the internet as a medium for this kind of covert operation. Either this "expert" watches too much "Enemy of the State" or probably just some wild fantacy of his/her.
See link:
http://www.testech-elect.com/globalwater/sit65.htm

george watson
3/14/2010

I only hope that this is true, and if so, that it is not confined to Tivoli but extended to the entire Jamaica. The country is small enough for this to be done and the sophistry of the equipment is almost limitless. We need this from the the ghettoes to Cherry Gardens. My wish too is that it be extended to PNP, JLP, Ministers of Government, the Opposition, Industry Leaders, the police high command; the lot. .
Too many of us put on our expensive business suits by day and address service club meetings lamenting the crime situation and wishing for its end, but we stoke the fire by night and our deeds are dark and dastardly. Let the chips fall where they may.
Since we wont do it ourselves let others do it for us. And if criminal activities cannot be prosecuted, at least let the perpetrators be exposed.
He who hath ears to hear let them hear.

carlos king
3/14/2010

Please allow me poetic license to paraphase " the arm of God moves slowly but it bends towards JUSTICE". I did not believe I would live to see the day, in Jamaica, when the the bands of injustice are about to be broken from "salt of the earth", poor people. But it appears that it is imminent. I am only sorry that it took a foreign power to do it. But then again, it couldn't be done by our local police and politicians as it appears many are bedfellows with criminals and those who are not abserve the squaddy mentality, that is, look-di-other-way. Thank you, mighty US of A God has ordain you to clean the muck out of the garrisons and Gordon House.
Regards,

one jam
3/14/2010

nonsense: firstly satellite images are taken from above and license plates cannot be viewed from above . Unless in tivoli they drive with them on the roof. we are all aware of sims, google earth and other such programs. isnt it interesting though how much is put to prosecute dudus but they so call cant find bin laden and his group in Afghanistan? or other terrorists...

T G
3/14/2010

LOL!

Did you watch American football's Super Bowl on Sunday?
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