St Catherine raid exposes suspected islandwide car theft ring

Police say they may have cracked open a stolen car ring with reach across the island after a raid in Spanish Town on Friday turned up a dismantled Toyota Axio and signs of a thriving chop shop operation.

According to police reports, sometime after 8:30 a.m. on Friday, lawmen raided a premises off St John's Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine, where three people were taken into custody for questioning.

Head of the division, Senior Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, said officers, acting on intelligence, searched the location and recovered a stolen Toyota Axio motor car.

"The vehicle was stolen sometime after 2 a.m. Thursday in the parish of Manchester and was transported here," Nicholson said.

He noted that thieves had already started to dismantle the motor car, removing several components, including lights, fenders, and bumpers, before police arrived at the location.

"We also noticed a number of motor-vehicle parts for various motor vehicles; these will be examined by crime-scene detectives," the policeman said.

Investigators suspect that the individuals operating from the premises may be part of a wider motor-vehicle-stealing syndicate with operations spanning multiple parishes.

SSP Nicholson has assured the public that a thorough investigation is under way.

-Ruddy Mathison

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