WESTERN BUREAU:

The arrest of a 21-year-old woman, who was among the 32 persons detained in police operations targeting lottery scam players, has taken a controversial turn following her court appearance yesterday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Leslie Green, head of the Major Investigations Team, disclosed that Sherika Headley, who was offered bail in the sum of $250,000 in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court, will be transported to Kingston for questioning in relation to the scam. She was charged with "unlawful possession".

Knew nothing

But her attorney-at-law, George Thomas, reacting with surprise to this announcement, said he knew nothing about the police's plan for his client, allegedly found in possession of $1.1 million, during a search of her Westgate Hills home in Montego Bay on Thursday morning.

"Nobody has said anything to me and I am her lawyer," he told The Gleaner yesterday. "She went to court on a specific charge for which she was granted bail and all of a sudden they want to question her. It is tantamount to contempt of court."

Key figures

ACP Green said that at least six of the 13 persons taken to Kingston for interrogation were believed to be key figures in the scam, which has been linked to several murders in St. James.

They have reportedly amassed multimillion-dollar earnings from the scam.

"I can't say that we are going to be freezing the bank accounts of these people. We will be working with members of the Financial Investigation Division, but we are deficient in terms of certain powers. We need to have the Proceeds of Crime Act," ACP Green stated.

"We found several cars and these persons are living in exclusive developments in and around Montego Bay. It would appear that they have lavish lifestyles. It will take several weeks and months to identify all of their assets," he said.

Undermine sector

Concerns have been expressed that Jamaica's information communication technology (ICT) sector could be severely undermined unless the lottery scam is quickly contained.

The practice is reportedly being facilitated through unscrupulous ICT workers, who allegedly provide local scam artists with personal information on American clients, who are then conned out of large sums of money.