Matthews Lane area leader Donald ‘Zeeks’ Phipps was yesterday arrested on suspicion of double murder by senior cops from the Criminal Investigation Bureau headquarters after he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on other charges filed against him late last year.

But unlike seven years ago when his arrest for attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful wounding sparked a riot downtown, the capital’s main commercial district remained calm.

Soldiers, policemen and civilians were yesterday seen at Beeston, Heywood and Charles streets engaging in light conversation while other security personnel combed that section of the city.

Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields said Phipps was a suspect in the gruesome murder and burning of Rodney Farquharson and Dayton Williams on April 18.

Farquharson and Williams, also known as “Scotchbrite”, were shot in their heads and their bodies taken to an open lot at Rose Lane and torched. The police say a trail of bloodstains from a building on Matthews Lane to the open lot at Rose Lane led them to believe the men were killed at Matthews Lane.

Minutes after Phipps’ arrest, a large detachment of police and Jamaica Defence Force soldiers, led by head of the Anti-Crime Task Force Senior Superintendent Donald Pusey, swooped down on the Matthews Lane area and conducted searches of the area. During the operation, the police found an Enforcer M1 machine gun and two magazines with ammunition.

“The search is ongoing, we are using forensic scientists, police and Jamaica Defence Force search teams,” Shields said. “We will be in the area until the search is completed.”

According to Shields, the security forces had recently embarked on a drive to contain the spiralling murder rate, and the operation in Matthews Lane and surrounding areas was part of that effort.

“We are very concerned about the homicide rate in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine and this is just one of a number of operations at the moment,” Shields said. “We will be going after the criminals wherever and whoever they are.”

Phipps was held and shackled by the cops as he was preparing to leave the court building.

Phipps was honouring his bail by appearing before Resident Magistrate Kissock Laing to answer to charges of illegal possession of 46 rounds of ammunition, illegal possession of two pounds of ganja and unlawful possession of pharmaceuticals laid against him after a raid on his house and business establishment in October last year.

During that raid, the cops found US$43,000 and J$6 million in a safe at Phipps’ house. The ammunition, ganja and drugs were found at an establishment called Sons Of The Lane, owned by Phipps.

He was ordered to hand over his passport to the police and report to the Kingston Central Police three times per week. A stop order was also made against Phipps, who was fingerprinted before he was offered $1.5 million bail.

His bail was extended until June 7.

When Phipps was arrested in September 1998, it triggered a major demonstration that lasted three days and resulted in the deaths of four persons, including two police officers. Eight other persons were injured.

In an effort to quell the angry mob, the police allowed Phipps to appear on a balcony at the Central Police Station from where he announced through a bullhorn that he was not being abused. He was later released.

In recent years, however, Phipps’ authority has been challenged by other factions downtown, and last September he was given 48 hours to leave Matthews Lane.

As a result, a bitter feud broke out downtown and over a dozen persons were killed and a number of others injured.

In October last year, a gang of hoodlums stormed the cold room of Brown’s Funeral Home on North Street in Kingston and cut the head off the body of Orett “Oney” Haye, impaled it on a makeshift stake, before sending the head to Phipps.

Haye was one of Phipps’ main lieutenants, police say.

– walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com