Two men, one of them an aspiring dancehall artiste who goes by the name Big$en, were arrested last week in separate operations targeting lottery scamming suspects.

In the first operation conducted on June 12 by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) in collaboration with the Specialised Operations Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) 29-year-old Rajae Stewart was apprehended during a raid at Cedar Grove Estate in Portmore, St Catherine.

A news release from MOCA said that during a search of Stewart’s premises, “several items associated with lottery scamming, including multiple technological devices used in defrauding individuals overseas, were seized”.

Stewart was later charged with breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, MOCA said.

In the second joint operation, led by the Jamaica Organisations Linked to Telemarketing Task Force and comprising of law enforcement personnel from MOCA, the Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigations Branch, and the Jamaica Defence Force, Big$en, whose real name is Tevin Parker, was arrested at a residence in Stony Hill, St Andrew, on June 14.

“Parker was found with two associates at a residence where a detailed search revealed lead lists, bank cards, and other lottery scamming paraphernalia. He has since been formally charged with possession of identity information and possession of access devices. His associates have been released pending further investigations. Parker’s court date is yet to be determined,” MOCA said in the release.

“MOCA and its partners have a very strong collaborative relationship, bolstered in some instances by several MOUs. These two sets of arrests demonstrate that this approach to crime fighting continues to bear significant fruit,” the release quotes MOCA’s Director of Communications Major Basil Jarrett.

He urged the public to assist in the fight against lottery scamming and other major organised crimes by calling the MOCA tip line at 888-MOCA-TIP (662-2847) or contacting the agency via www.moca.gov.jm.

The agency is also reminding the public that the tip line is managed by Crime Stop and all calls are 100 per cent anonymous and confidential.