KINGSTON, Jamaica— The court today ordered the extradition of eight people accused of lottery scamming, among them a former policeman.

Parish Judge Vaughn Smith made the ruling following the hearing in which the accused sought to challenge the request.

The ex-policeman, Jason Jahalal, and his co-accused Alrick McLeod, Dahlia Hunter, O’Neil Brown, Xanu Ann Morgan, Dario Palmer, Karae Gray and Kimberly Hudson have each been indicted on one count of conspiracy and attempting to commit wire fraud, 48 counts of wire fraud, 15 counts of mail fraud, and one count of money laundering in the state of North Dakota in the United States.

They are alleged to be part of a criminal organisation headed by Lavrick Williocks, which manifested in 2009 in Jamaica and elsewhere.

Authorities allege the sophisticated schemes that Willocks masterminded bilked more than 70 mostly elderly Americans out of more than US$5.6 million. He was initially charged in October 2012, but he evaded police until being arrested in a hotel in the Jamaican city of Kingston in November of last year. Authorities said they found more than US$10,000 in cash in his room, along with electronics and jewelry.

Willocks, who was extradited to the US in January, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering in US District Court in North Dakota.

The judge ordered that he should remain jailed pending trial, scheduled for late March.