Police nab 10 alleged gangsters in Hanover raids

Western Bureau:

Ten men described as major players in the three criminal gangs operating in Hanover are now in custody after they were arrested in the targeted raids the police have been conducting in the main crime hotspots in the eastern part of the parish.

Four of the alleged gangsters are from the One Link gang and four are from the Hundred Round gang. Two of them are from the One Voice gang. Two members of the Hundred Round gang were killed in a recent confrontation with the police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sharon Beeput, the commanding officer for the Hanover police division, told The Gleaner yesterday that the three gangs are being heavily affected. She said that the coordinated operations were being carried out by the police with support from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

"We are doing a number of pre-dawn operations... we keep targeting those persons while looking out for others," said Beeput. "We are keeping a sustained presence in some of these communities, and we are really thankful for the support of the JDF.

"As a result of what we have been doing, among other strategies that we are using, there seems to be a lull in criminal activity in the parish at the moment," added Beeput.

According to statistics provided by the police, 28 murders have been committed in the parish so far this year, compared to 12 over the same period in 2016.

"We are hoping that based on what we are doing now, by the end of the year, we should have an overall reduction in murders and all other criminal activities," said Beeput. "Our main aim is to dismantle the gangs."

One murder in parish this month

The new crime-fighting initiatives appear to be working as after a bloody start to the year, so far this month, there has been only one murder in Hanover. Over the corresponding period last year, there were six murders.

In response to a video that is in circulation in which specific threats have been made against police personnel in the parish, Deputy Superintendent Sharon Beeput said that some of the persons who figured in the making of the video were picked up by the police, processed, and released. She said that nonetheless, they remained under the radar of the police.