Gangsters cornered in St James - Determined soldiers vow to flush them out

The remnants of the notorious Ratty gang, which has resurfaced under the leadership of wanted man Delano 'Prekeh' Wilmot, are said to be trapped in bushes in the Retrieve/Cambridge border in St James, after engaging a police/military patrol in yet another gun battle last Saturday.

"They are now cornered in the bushes, and we are blocking all the known escape routes," a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) personnel told THE STAR last night. "We will be bringing in additional resources because our main focus at this time is to flush them out."

According to reports, last Saturday, a police/military team went into the area in search of the gangsters, who once had the area under siege before they were driven out at the start of the state of public emergency (SOE) in St James. Their then leader, the notorious Ryan 'Ratty' Peterkin, was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Westmoreland.

Since the gang regrouped under the leadership of Wilmot, who is wanted by the police on several counts of murder, they have been terrorising communities, including the Richmond Hill section of Cambridge.

On Thursday, September 27, they carried out one of their most daring acts when they ambushed the police-military team in broad daylight in Richmond Hill and shot and injured two soldiers.

"These men (the gangsters) are driving fear into all of us. We are literally at their mercy," a resident of Richmond Hill said at the time. "They rob and intimidate residents daily. I hope that now they have shot those two soldiers, the authorities will get serious about hunting them down and bringing them to justice."

In the aftermath of the shooting, Major Basil Jarrett, the civil-military co-operation officer at the JDF, said that they would pursue the gangsters until they are caught.

"As for Wilmot and his gang, our team will not stop until we flush them out. He and his cronies will be brought to justice like any other ordinary criminals," Jarrett said.