By Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
POLICEMEN FROM the Narcotics Division yesterday took two prominent Montego Bay residents into custody on provisional warrants of arrest during an operation in the western city.
The men have been identified as Dennis 'Den-Den' Gayle, a 40-year-old ex-policeman of the Immigration Department, and businessman Hartford Montaque, also known as 'Bruckie' and 'Iwad', of Coral Gardens, St. James.
Both men have been transported to Kingston where they are
reportedly awaiting extradition to the United States for their alleged involvement in drug smuggling.
Senior Superintendent Carl Williams, head of the Narcotics Division, confirmed that the men were detained but said he could not immediately divulge any additional details on the matter as "the operation was still in progress".
Montaque, the owner and lead singer for Iniques Band, was roused from his bed in the first of two raids in the pre-dawn operation.
His home was searched and several items, including a laptop computer and three motor cars a white BMW, a Silver Corona and a white Toyota Corolla were seized.
The lawmen then raided Gayle's residence on Phoenix Rise in Westgate Hills, where documents and a red Lexus motor car were confiscated after hours of searching.
Up to press time last night, the narcotics police were said to be in pursuit of two other Montego Bay businessmen.
The detention of Gayle and Montaque brings to eight the number of Montego Bay residents who have been picked up by the police since March this year, in what has been described as a major crackdown on suspected drug barons.
MONEY LAUNDERING
Three days ago Adrian 'Ruddy' Armstrong, the operator of the Grand Central Cambio and Cheque Changer in Montego Bay, was picked up for his alleged role in money laundering activities. He was also picked up on a provisional warrant at the request of the U.S. Government.
According to a highly-placed source, Armstrong is wanted for his alleged role in "facilitating the movement of billions of dollars from the U.S., Europe, Panama, Colombia and Jamaica for some of the big players in western Jamaica".
On March 3, businessmen Leebert Ramcharan and Donovan 'Plucky' Williams were held in a similar operation by local police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents in Montego Bay. They are appealing extradition orders made on June 7 to have them sent to the United States to answer to drug charges.
In April, well-known businessmen Robroy 'Spy' Williams and Vivian 'Jungle' Dalley were detained.
On June 1, U.S. President George W. Bush designated Ramcharan and Nembhard as 'drug kingpins' under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. They were among 10 persons identified by Bush as drug traffickers and against whom sanctions will be imposed according to the powers vested under the Act.
