The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) was rocked to its core yesterday as a large quantity of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition found in the hands of criminals were traced back to the police armoury.
Acting Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, who was on the scene early in the morning, immediately admitted the possible involvement of members of the JCF in the crime.
He said a police sergeant was among eight persons - four men and four women - arrested in the immediate aftermath of the massive seizure.
Local police yet to conclude investigation to determine who was responsible for the blunder
ALMOST eight months after the United States government convicted the illegal arms dealer, Lance Brooks, hired by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to broker a multi-million ammunition deal, the police are still struggling to conclude an internal investigation into the circumstances that led to the hiring of a confessed criminal to supply bullets to the constabulary.
It seems the JCF is not in a hurry to reveal who made the error that embarrassed high-ranking members of the force. A letter from the Ministry of National Security said the "investigation into the matter is not yet complete".
When approached on Friday at a press conference staged to update the media on last week's mega gun and ammo find involving a police sergeant, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of administration, Jevene Bent, refused to comment on the matter.
police blunder
However, in a Sunday Gleaner exclusive published on September 7, 2008, Bent confessed that the police had blundered in hiring Brooks. At the time, the senior officer also revealed that an investigation to ascertain where the error had occurred was under way. Exactly one year and five months after that announcement, the internal investigation has not been completed.
The constabulary's tardiness in getting to the bottom of this ammunition affair has once again raised questions about the JCF's investigative capabilities and the wisdom behind the police investigating the police.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice informed The Sunday Gleaner that Lance Brooks, owner and operator of Taylor and Associates - an arms-brokering business in Lauderhill, Florida - was sentenced on May 22, 2009, to 12 months in prison and 36 months supervised release. "According to the BOP website, the defendant is located at FCI Coleman Low," said Alicia Valle, special counsel to the United States Attorney.
Brooks was charged with knowingly and wilfully brokering the sale of 150,000 rounds of .38 Jacketed Soft Point ammunition, 20,000 rounds of .380 Jacketed Soft Point ammunition, and 100,000 rounds of .223 55 grain Jacketed Soft Point ammunition to Jamaica, without first having registered with and obtaining a licence from the United States Department of State, Directorate of Defence Trade Controls.
Pressa, How is this related to the ammo find in Mtn View?
The only thing I see is sloppiness on the part of the JCF person who signed off on the deal. It is very easy to do due deligience these days and it wouldnt take more than a few phone calls and couple emails to verify that the "broker" was not legit.
Registered: 01/13/03
Posts: 1728
Loc: NYC, NY, USA
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Originally Posted By: ericdread
Pressa, How is this related to the ammo find in Mtn View?
The only thing I see is sloppiness on the part of the JCF person who signed off on the deal. It is very easy to do due deligience these days and it wouldnt take more than a few phone calls and couple emails to verify that the "broker" was not legit.
Pressa, How is this related to the ammo find in Mtn View?
The only thing I see is sloppiness on the part of the JCF person who signed off on the deal. It is very easy to do due deligience these days and it wouldnt take more than a few phone calls and couple emails to verify that the "broker" was not legit.
Don't (want to) see entrenched corruption?
So you think someone got paid for steering the JCF to this "broker"?
Registered: 01/13/03
Posts: 1728
Loc: NYC, NY, USA
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Originally Posted By: ericdread
Originally Posted By: pressafoot
Originally Posted By: ericdread
Pressa, How is this related to the ammo find in Mtn View?
The only thing I see is sloppiness on the part of the JCF person who signed off on the deal. It is very easy to do due deligience these days and it wouldnt take more than a few phone calls and couple emails to verify that the "broker" was not legit.
Don't (want to) see entrenched corruption?
So you think someone got paid for steering the JCF to this "broker"?
A PROMINENT deputy superintendent (DSP) of police was interrogated yesterday for more than eight hours by senior detectives probing last Thursday's massive gun and ammunition find in the Munster Road community of eastern St Andrew. A senior a government official, as well as the police High Command, have confirmed that the DSP was taken into custody. Up to news time last night, he was still being questioned. There are allegations that he was picked up after his home was searched by his colleagues.
coordinated operations
In the meantime, a release issued yesterday by Karl Angell, director of communications for the Jamaica Con-stabulary Force, stressed that the police have, over the last three days, conducted a number of coordinated operations in the Kingston Metropolitan Region, which includes the two police divisions in St Catherine.
According to the release, the operations were mainly searches on warrants based on intelligence reports of various premises owned or frequented by both police personnel and civilians. The operations are scheduled to continue over the weekend.
Over 11,000 assorted rounds of ammunition and at least 19 guns, believed to have been stolen from the police armoury on Elletson Road, Kingston, were found at a home on Munster Road. A police sergeant who was assigned to the armoury was nabbed at the scene.
