Murder plot foiled
The Jamaican police say they will be working with American law enforcers at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to capture a man living in the United Sates who allegedly offered a $400,000 contract for the murder of three women in western Jamaica.
“We know who is behind it. We know who the person is who gave the contract. The person is not domiciled here and so we will look at all the opportunities available, whether prosecution here or overseas,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Fitz Bailey said Friday in response to a Jamaica Observer question during a press conference at the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch in St Andrew.
“I don’t want to get into the specifics. We will have some discussion and they [FBI] will support us. I have no doubt. We get significant support from them,” Bailey added.
Bailey, who heads the crime portfolio in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), said cops, acting on intelligence, arrested a female teacher and six men in Kingston and St Andrew on Friday in a series of operations.
The cops also seized an American tactical hybrid rifle, at least three handguns, at least 30 rounds of ammunition, firearm magazines, and police apparel.
Among those arrested was a 28-eight-year-old district constable.
Bailey told the Observer that the district constable is on sick leave and had tendered his resignation in November but the resignation had not been processed.
He also said the district constable is being investigated in relation to other matters and expressed concern that a district constable could be implicated in such serious criminal activities.
“We are concerned. There are other matters that are being investigated against him. The police vests that were seized, we have to determine how they came into the hands of criminal elements. We will do everything to identify these types of individuals in the organisation. We know that he submitted a resignation in November. He still has his ID so he is a district constable,” Bailey told the Observer.
He said the series of intelligence-led police operations started about 8:30 am and ended 9:00 pm on Thursday in St Andrew.
Bailey said cops conducted the first operation at 4 and 6 Brickell Terrace in the Charlton area of St Andrew where they searched the premises and found an American tactical hybrid rifle along with thirty 5.56 calibre rounds, three red and black police cloth vests bearing a regulation number, a police uniform shirt, two uniform pants, one ballistic vest bearing a police registration number, four motor vehicle licence plates, and two pairs of handcuffs.
Three Glock 17 magazines, one Glock 19 magazine, one plastic M16 magazine, eighteen .38 spent casings, three outside gun holsters and one inside gun holster and a firearm cleaning kit were also seized.
In a further follow-up on intelligence, the police intercepted a red Toyota Yaris motor car on Washington Boulevard in St Andrew with the district constable and two men aboard.
Bailey said all three were arrested after one was found with an illegal Glock 26 pistol, loaded with 11 9mm rounds. The motor car was seized.
During another operation, one man was held after cops allegedly found him with a Glock 17 containing seventeen 9 mm rounds of ammunition.
“The team went to another address in Kingston 20 [where another man] was held and 34 5.56 cartridges and six 9mm cartridges along with a police forage cap were found at his premises,” Bailey said.
He said he was convinced that had it not been for the interception of the car in which the district constable was travelling, news would have began circulating that three women were murdered in the west.
“The females were identified and interviewed by the police and we have put in place the appropriate target hardening against them. This represents a significant improvement in how we do things as law enforcement. Our intelligence has increased significantly,” DCP Bailey said.