MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Police in Manchester are reporting that three men were arrested after they tried to scam a wholesale in Christiana last month of approximately $1.8 million worth of meat.

Police said the men were part of a scheme where a fraudulent cheque was lodged to the wholesale’s bank account and an attempt made to remove the goods in a truck.

Charged with the offences of obtaining goods by means of forged documents and conspiracy to obtain goods by means of forged documents are Rashawn Gregory, otherwise called “Keemo”, of a Kingston 13 address; Korboor Grant, 26, a resident of Glengoffe in St Catherine; and Keith Ridge, 53, a resident of Big Lane, Central Village in St Catherine.

Police said on Wednesday, April 30, the three men loaded a truck with the meat after a man who identified himself as a businessman made contact with the proprietor of the wholesale in Christiana.

Police said the businessman told the proprietor that he operated an establishment in Cave Valley, St Ann, and that he lodged $1.8 million to the proprietor’s business account.

Between Sunday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 29, the businessman called the proprietor, checking if the funds were received.

On Tuesday, April 29, the money reflected. The three men turned up at the wholesale in Christiana and loaded items valued at $1,665,683.22 in the truck.

However, the proprietor again checked a bank account and noticed that the transaction was reversed, as it was deemed to be fraudulent due to forgery.

The police were called, and the truck with the three men was intercepted.

Last Saturday, the three men were questioned and formally charged. Their court date is being arranged.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the truck seized is linked to another scam in May Pen during Easter where $1.5 million worth of cheese was scammed from a supermarket in a similar fraud.

— Kasey Williams