MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A day after newly minted head of the Manchester division Odean Dennis vowed to tackle lottery scammers in Manchester, a strong contingent of police personnel swooped down on several premises across Mandeville and its environs detaining at least eight people on Friday.

Operations Officer for Manchester Deputy Superintendent Valdin Amos said the operation is part of an assault on criminal activities in the parish in search of prohibited weapons and a clampdown on lottery scamming activities.

Amos noted that some lottery scammers have amassed enough wealth to lease properties in upscale neighbourhoods for as long as five years in an effort to avoid detection.

“Wherever they are or hiding, we are going to find them, whichever gated community they are in, we will be at their doorstep,” he said.

On Thursday, Dennis implored citizens to be vigilant of strangers in their communities as he pointed to the prevalence of lottery scammers in once peaceful areas.

“One of the key things I am seeing as being [prevalent] in the parish is the number of scammers. It is almost as if they have found Manchester as a safe space and they have come into the place and infest it, for want of a better term. It is something that I see that we are going to have to do significant work around,” he said during a meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.

READ: Heat on for scammers infesting Manchester, says Dennis

— Kasey Williams