Islandwide raids target scammers

Jamaican law-enforcement authorities yesterday staged a series of coordinated operations across the island targeting persons they believe used a number of scams to fleece local financial institutions of thousands of dollars.

Up to late afternoon, law-enforcement officials confirmed that three men were arrested in the operations, which were led by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency and the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

"There were some arrests this (yesterday) morning. Other persons are to be arrested and there are several persons of interest that we are looking at," a senior law-enforcement official told The Gleaner.

"It's a financial investigation in action and the information cannot be openly discussed at this time," the official added.

According to investigators, the probe is focused on huge sums of money that have been fleeced from local financial institutions.

One investigator revealed that the probe is looking at persons with "digital forensic capabilities".

The investigator confirmed that no employee of any financial institution has been arrested, but said detectives are looking at some of them as persons of interest.