MANCHESTER, Jamaica— Three men were arrested in a predawn operation in Porus, Manchester on Thursday following a robbery spree targeting poker boxes at bars in the northeast section of the parish.

A police source told OBSERVER ONLINE that about midnight, men stole 12 poker boxes from bars in Spalding on the Manchester/ Clarendon border.

“They also robbed bars in Finegrass (near Christiana) and took five poker boxes. The police recovered eight poker boxes,” said the source.

Police said the men are from the Corporate Area.

“We believe it wasn’t them alone because they normally work in groups. It is possible that another two cars were used to remove the poker boxes,” said the source.

Police say they had set up a roadblock in the Porus area close to the Manchester/ Clarendon border where a Toyota Probox was intercepted with three men aboard.

The vehicle was searched and the poker boxes believed to have been stolen were found.

The men were taken into police custody.

— Kasey Williams