Security forces conduct raids across three parishes

On Thursday, persons who reside in the vicinity of Parade Square in Spanish Town, St Catherine, were awakened by the movements of dozens of security personnel in their space, who carried out a massive operation at the offices of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation.

Major Basil Jarrett, director of communications at the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), said raids were also being carried out in Westmoreland and Kingston. He said the operations were in relation to an ongoing investigation into allegations of serious organised crimes.

"We are conducting a joint operation along with persons from FID (Federal Investigation Division), JCF and the JDF. We are conducting an investigation into allegation of misconduct of an organised criminal nature. We have been out since early this morning (Thursday) and we have been executing search warrants for a number of locations, a total of 17 to be exact," he said.

"Sixteen of those 17 locations are the residencies of employees or associates of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation. At this time there are no arrests and we don't anticipate that there will be any. However, in the execution of executing those duties, [if] we come across any illegal material or illegal activities that persons are involved in, certainly we would make arrest," Jarret added.

Small groups of onlookers converged on the sidewalks as the security team carried out their work. Every few minutes, a few inquisitive ones questioned the lawmen about the purpose of their visits while others formed their own theories.

"Yea mi tink through dem a big neck people dem can't go under investigation. This show say anuh ghetto youths do crime and anuh zinc fence setting police and soldier go. Mi nah lef out here until mi know what a clock a strike. Mi feel like a some money in there whe nuh suppose to deh deh," one woman said.