Robert Lalah & Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporters
Azan's One Stop in May Pen, Clarendon, where proprietors Maurice Azan and Lloyd Phang were murdered on Saturday.
THE DEADLY tentacles of extortionists snuffed out the life of prominent May Pen businessman Maurice Azan and his stepson Lloyd Phang.
Both were killed after gunmen attacked and shot the pair at their business place, Azan's One Stop, on Saturday. Mr. Azan died at the May Pen Hospital moments after being shot, while Mr. Phang succumbed to his injuries yesterday. It is alleged that the men were killed because they, unlike several other business operators in the area, refused to pay extortionists the 'protection money' they demanded.
Following the attack, the May Pen business community announced that it will be closing its shutters for several hours on Thursday as a show of solidarity in the fight against crime.
RESIDENTS WORRIED
Despite the semblance of normality in the May Pen business district yesterday, The Gleaner discovered that beneath the veneer of vibrant town life, the criminal elements had driven fear into the hearts of residents. The very mention of the word 'extortionists' sent some residents scampering off without a word.
However, we stumbled upon one store owner who said he has been dealing with extortionists for years.
"Everyone around here knows that it is happening. It's been happening for some time now and nothing was done in the early stages to stop it. Now the whole racket has grown into a monster," he said in a whisper.
"Sometimes they come and ask for shoes or a shirt and I have to give it to them," he said. The store owner said he doubted whether Thursday's planned lockdown would make a significant difference, but noted that he would close the doors of his store, at least as a show of respect for the slain businessmen.
Since Saturday's double murder, the police have increased their presence in the area. This, residents say, leaves them feeling only slightly more secure.
Yesterday, Superintendent Terrence Bent, head of the Clarendon Police Division, said based on preliminary investigations there was evidence to suggest that the businessmen were murdered by extortionists.
TELL THE POLICE
The officer has since appealed to all business operators in the parish to report any act of extortion to the police. Supt. Bent and his crime officer, Deputy Superintendent Selvin Haye, were summoned to an emergency meeting at the police commissioner's office yesterday to discuss the spate of violence in the parish on the weekend.
Further reports reaching The Gleaner are that itinerant criminals who have come under pressure from the security forces in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, have run away to Clarendon to form an unholy alliance with a prominent gang in the May Pen area. They have been busy pooling their resources and muscle to control key geographical areas in an attempt to operate multimillion-dollar extortion rackets.
