THE mysterious release of Eaton Evans, the Jamaican who was being held for extradition to the United States, has resulted in the removal of several cops from their post at the Half-Way-Tree Police Station.

Head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Derrick Knight, told the Sunday Observer that the cops assigned to the holding area of the station were removed to facilitate “a transparent investigation into the matter”.

Evans, who is believed to be a music promoter, is reportedly wanted by the United States Government on drug-trafficking charges.

He last appeared before the Half-Way-Tree Court two weeks ago where he was freed of local drug charges, but remanded on the extradition warrant.

A foul-up by police personnel in the holding area led to him being released.

“We are following a number of leads into this matter and we are still searching for this man,” said Knight.

US prosecutors claim Evans and another Jamaican, Claude Sayers, were members of a drug network which shipped illegal drugs into the United States. It is alleged that on March 15, 1998, US law enforcement agents intercepted a shipment of cocaine and ganja on an Air Jamaica flight at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

US authorities say that Sayers and Evans were fingered as suspects in relation to the shipment.

A US grand jury issued an indictment for their arrests on March 13, 2003.