MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he will be engaging security leaders to ensure lottery scamming is uprooted in Manchester following recent crimes there, including murders linked to the lucrative illicit scheme.

“I will be having discussions with the commissioner [of police] and the minister of national security to ensure that this emerging problem of lottery scamming doesn’t gain any root and become a significant challenge here,” Holness said on Wednesday during an update from the Manchester police.

Holness’ comments followed his questioning of head of the Manchester police Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Carey Duncan as to the motive behind recent murders in the parish.

“Sup [sic] we have been hearing the challenges that the parish of Manchester and Mandeville in particular is facing with an upsurge in violence. There was a shooting last week where two persons were killed and before that there were other shootings. What is the happening? What is contributing to this upsurge?” he asked.

DSP Duncan in response said the Manchester division is seeing a 16 per cent reduction in major crimes.

“Murders, breakings, shootings, larcenies, aggravated assault, we are down generally. However, sir we don’t take comfort in that, because my view is that the most important thing in life is life itself and we are seeing an uptick where murders are concerned,” he said.

Duncan reiterated that criminals overseas and linked to scamming are fuelling the increase in murders in the parish.

“These murders we attribute to interpersonal situations with persons being influenced from as far as Costa Rica [and] the United States of America. These are the persons who are influencing what has happened in our space. The interpersonal nature is that we find persons who have conflicts with each other are going across the parish to exact revenge,” he said.

“These are persons who know each other and are from as far as Westmoreland and Trelawny who engage in the illicit lottery scamming activities and because they were once friends. Now we are seeing the falling out, because of the spoils,” he added.

Duncan said the police are clamping down on lottery scammers.

“We have engaged our lottery scamming task force and we have made several arrests and several significant seizures in terms of high end motor vehicles that is where we are heading,” he said.

“In terms of getting the criminal offenders we have embarked on several strategies [including] targeted operations and road block activities,” he said while pointing to a clear up rate of 78 per cent.

Holness said Mandeville is often regarded to as a peaceful parish. He said recent murders are worrying to citizens.

“What I know about the Mandeville space and I do spend a lot of time reviewing statistics for this parish… as it comes closer to Christmas we usually see an uptick. The nature of the space is changing, because as you have said there is the introduction of outside influences and there seems to be quite a bit of activity around lottery scamming. I am happy to hear that you are mobilising other resources including your lottery scamming task force and your other strategic interventions. Those should have an impact,” he said.

“Mandeville is generally regarded as a peaceful place with strong communities and so when we see these kinds playing out the general population in Mandeville and wider Manchester gets very worried, because it speaks to almost a change in the character of the parish. People don’t want to see the peaceful character of the parish and especially the town of Mandeville change and so I am encouraging you to put in as much effort and the resources,” he added.

DSP Duncan told Holness that the Manchester police is focused on Operation Restore.

“We are on the road to recovery,” he said.

— Kasey Williams