WESTERN BUREAU:
THE AREA 1 Operations Unit and the St. James Flying Squad have busted a massive goat stealing ring in western Jamaica, and four men are behind bars today, as a result of that crackdown.
Those who have been arrested and charged are a 25-year-old resident of Flankers, St. James, a 54-year-old man from Kingsvale in Hanover, a 26-year-old man of Wakefield, Trelawny and a 19-year-old man of Bunkers Hill, Trelawny.
The Area 1 police, who confirmed the incident, told The Gleaner that the identities of the men are being withheld at this time, as they are to face an identification parade, later this week, in connection with other crimes committed in the west, including murder.
Reports are that at about 11:30 a.m. on Friday, acting on information, the St. James Flying Squad and the Area 1 Operations Unit went to premises on Howard Cooke Boulevard venue of the St. James Abattoir which has been closed to the public for several months.
The police saw three men allegedly butchering goats illegally and packing the carcasses into the trunk of a white motorcar. Reports further indicate that the men ran on seeing the police, but were later cornered and apprehended.
According to police reports, after the men were taken into police custody, they led the lawmen to the Charles Gordon Market where a butcher was pointed out as being involved in the sale of the stolen goats. The four have since been arrested and charged.
The police theorise that the goat stealing ring has been operating in all the five western parishes.
'BORDER BLOCKS'
In the meantime, the St. James police say that as part of its intensified crime-fighting mechanisms, it will be paying keener attention to areas of St. James which adjoin neighbouring parishes. Crime Officer for St. James, Deputy Superintendent Derrick Knight, is dubbing its operation along roads on the fringes of the parish 'Border Blocks'.
"We are beefing up spot-checks or border blocks in areas of St. James which adjoin other parishes, so that we can easily detect or prevent criminals from fleeing other parishes and taking refuge in St. James," DSP knight told The Gleaner.
"We are aware that in Jamaica there is a copy-cat syndrome, so while crimes against tourists is non-existent in the parish right now, we will be doing all in our power to ensure that it stays that way," declared the Crime Officer.
And also on the crime scene in western Jamaica, police personnel from the Organised Crime Branch and the Flying Squad carried out joint operations in Negril, Westmoreland on Thursday and Friday and arrested some 28 persons for several crimes. Nineteen of the 28 have been charged for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. Included in that number is a 47-year-old Italian, Maria Orlando, who was allegedly found in possession of ganja.
- Erica James-King
