The changing criminal landscape in Jamaica has seen a sharp 53 per cent rise in murders in the four western parishes of Police Area One – St James, Trelawny, Westmoreland and Hanover- and is the result of the fight over US$1 billion (J$150 billion) in lottery scamming money flowing into that section of the country.

This was stated by the Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang, during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 1.

More formally referred to as ‘advance fee fraud’, lottery scamming is fuelling a rise in murders in deep rural areas as the changing criminal landscape presents a new headache for the government and law enforcement agencies.

Chang described the development as “an emerging, major crisis”, while warning that Jamaica’s democracy was at risk.

“The challenge with advance fee fraud is that it is a white-collar job,” Chang noted.

He said it was peculiar to see white-collar crime associated with a high level of killings. The security minister cited that white-collar criminals have no base, they’re mobile and present a more challenging task for the police to intercept or apprehend.

Chang shared that local law enforcement agencies were working with their international partners, particularly in North America, where the victims are being extorted.

“We have made progress, but hundreds of people are involved,” he said, while pointing out that dozens of scammers have been apprehended and some extradited.

According to Chang, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, it is alleged that US$1 billion flows into Jamaica each year through this illicit source.

“That’s a huge amount of money and it provides a risk to the stability of our state because it not only buys guns that kill people and undermine and corrupt institutions, and indeed…what is not yet known is its impact on the economy because a billion dollars is a huge amount of money.”

He pointed to the changing patterns in the inter-gang violence that accounts for the sharp increase in the homicide rate, explaining that gangs involved in extortion, drug dealing, turf control and petty thievery, will have a high incidence of community killings, which known tactical policing can deal with; as now appears to be happening in sections of the Corporate Area.

“On the other hand, gangs involved in advance fee fraud and transhipment of drugs, tend to avoid community petty crimes, but indulge in targeted killing of their competitors,” said Chang.

He told the House that this was evident in Area One, which has seen the highest increase in killings.

“They use contract killers and are scattered in small groups in deep rural areas. They operate wherever cellphone connectivity is available,” he said.

Chang pointed to year-to-date crime statistics which show that Area Four, which covers most of the Corporate Area, is experiencing 70 fewer murders or a 32 per cent decline over the corresponding period in 2021.

“Here, we can see the huge impact that hotspot policing, the use of technology and effective analysis are having in the urban areas,” he said.

“On the flip side, Area One, which covers the four western parishes, is seeing 70 more murders or a 53 per cent increase for the similar period. This is reflecting the significant shift of criminal activities to the rural areas, where the use of hotspot policing and technology are far less effective. As a result, controlling the criminal violence in the deep rural spaces presents some challenges,” Chang said.