FOUR men alleged to be involved in the international drug trade who were nabbed by local and overseas law enforcement teams in Montego Bay and Kingston and St Andrew in the wee hours of Wednesday morning were on the police’s radar for quite some time, the Jamaica Observer has learnt. It is, however, unclear how long they were under surveillance before the authorities set in motion ‘Operation Clean Sweep’.

The Jamaica Constabulary (JCF), meanwhile, confirmed on Wednesday that one of their own was among those arrested during the operation.

Extradition warrants have been issued by the United States (US) for two of the accused men.

According to the police, about 4:45 am Wednesday law enforcement led five simultaneous operations across Montego Bay, Kingston and St Andrew in search of five men believed to be major players in transnational narco-trafficking.

Director of communications of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Agency (MOCA), Major Basil Jarrett said that four men were picked up during the synchronised and highly coordinated joint operations.

The capture, he said, was a collaborative effort involving the Narcotics Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), MOCA, the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch, the Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Financial Investigations Division, the Jamaica Defence Force, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and US Marshals Service.

The raids resulted in the seizure of six motor vehicles, including two Mercedes Benz, a Toyota Tacoma, a Honda CR-V and a BMW motor car. Laptops, tablet computers, cellphones and large quantities of cash were also seized.

The teams in Montego Bay confiscated US$6,785, 11 cellphones and the BMW motor car. In Kingston, US$40,723, CAD$29,190 and J$530,750 were seized along with a licensed Glock pistol and 132 live rounds of ammunition. Nineteen cellphones, 28 SIM cards and other items were taken from the scene to be used as evidence.

Due to the absence of their attorneys on Wednesday, the four men have not yet been questioned by the police. A fifth person who was targeted in the operations was still at large.

“We haven’t released any of the names yet as the men have not been officially charged. It all depends on how soon they can get their lawyers together. Certainly we would like to see it happen sooner than later. It is possible we could be looking at them being charged [today]. Two are to be extradited. We are not sure if they will waive their rights to an extradition hearing, but the US is interested in them. The mere fact that ‘Uncle Sam’ is interested in them speaks volumes. We have been tracking them and their activities for some time. Those who are not wanted by the US, we have an interest in them,” Major Jarrett told the Observer on Wednesday.

After they are charged, more details are expected to follow outlining the particular crimes to which the men have been linked, said the police.

A US Embassy spokesperson praised the Jamaican lawmen and highlighted the collaboration between the Jamaican and US governments as well as their respective law enforcement agencies in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.

Jamaicans were, meanwhile, encouraged to use tip lines, online portals and social media pages to report what they know about organised illicit activities, including the trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons, as well as lottery scamming taking place in their communities.