Extradited cop was being watched since 2012 - police

Following the extradition of a policeman and seven others for swindling US$5.6 million through lottery scamming, Sergeant Kevin Watson, who heads the local Anti-Lottery Scam Task Force, said that this should send a clear message to those who are involved in lottery scamming that they will face consequences of their actions.

"Once you get involved in lottery scamming and we know, we are coming to arrest you. It doesn't matter who you are," Watson said. "We are going to continue our partnership with the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) to crack down on police officers who continue to facilitate the lottery scamming activities in any way, shape, or form."

Constable Jason Jahalal, along with Alrick McLeod, O'Neil Brown, Dario Palmer, Kazrae Gray, Kimberly Hudson, Xanu-Ann Moragn and Dahlia Hunter are facing a 66-count indictment in the state of North Dakota in the United States. The accused persons were handed over to the United States officials at the Norman Manley airport yesterday. Two of them were seen grinning as they boarded the aircraft.

Watson said Jahalal, who was a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for seven years and was last attached the Mobile Reserve division, has been under the Anti Lottery Scam Task Force's radar since 2012.

"When we are carrying out these sort of investigations, we don't want to alert persons because we don't want them to interfere with it in any way." Watson said.

"So persons might be saying that we knew that this man was involved with lottery scamming and we still allowed him to operate as a policeman, but it was because we didn't want anyone to alert him."

He said that this new approach is an effort to operate more like elite law enforcement agencies around the world.

"One of the things that we want to do is really build out our investigations," Watson explained. "We are seeking to operate like how the FBI and other elite law enforcement agencies carry out their investigations. They investigate thoroughly, and then make their arrest after."