INVESTIGATORS from the police’s Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch (C-TOC) and the Financial Investigations Division (FID) on Tuesday arrested and charged six people who allegedly fleeced an elderly Canadian woman of more than CAD$70,000 following a series of series of operations in the Corporate Area .

Five of those in custody have been charged with engaging in a transaction involving criminal property, conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretense, while one was charged with breaches of the Intellectual Property Act. Their identities are being withheld to facilitate further investigations, the police said.

The constabulary Corporate Communication Unit (CCU) said C-TOC and FID investigators, with the assistance of international partners, carried out investigations into an incident where the elderly woman was reportedly defrauded by a group of persons involved in the illicit illegal lottery trade.

According to the police, the suspects were nabbed by lawmen and several probative terns, including computers and documents, were seized from their homes.

They are to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrates Court on Thursday, November 11.

Head of C-TOC, Assistant Commissioner of Police Devon Watkis has assured the police are determined to detect and prosecute individuals that commit fraud.

“We are aggressively pursuing individuals, groups and organisations engaged in domestic or transnational crime with our collaborating partners and our focus will not be limited to lottery scamming, but include all instances of crime that fuel criminal activities of this nature and this will include the counterfeit goods trade, such as cigarettes…” said ACP Watkis.

Chief technical director of the FID, Robin Sykes, said: “Lottery scam offenders were not confined to Western Jamaica, noting that Tuesday’s operation was the culmination of enquiries into a matter, which we have collaborated extensively with our international partners. We will continue to pursue scammers and other criminals who commit financial crimes and fraudulent schemes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police have asked the public to report any suspicious activity similar to the lottery scam buy calling at 967-1389, Crime Stop , police 119 or the nearest police station..