News Briefs

Man held for suspected US visa racket

Eric George Miller of an Olympic Gardens address in St Andrew was last Wednesday arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretence.

Reports are that Miller had been asking persons to deposit sums of between $75,000 and $160,000 into his bank account for assistance in acquiring United States visas and overseas jobs. When the victims appeared at the US Embassy as instructed by Miller, they learned that they had no visa appointments scheduled, and Miller did not answer their calls or arrive to render assistance with the process.

Following complaints by eight persons claiming to have been defrauded by Miller, US authorities collaborated with local police to have him arrested.

Four arrested, 36 illegal JPS connections found

Four persons were arrested for illegal connections to the power grid following a number of anti-theft operations in Greater Portmore, St Catherine.

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says 36 illegal connections were also disconnected, which will yield savings of nearly $3 million, following a number of operations in the area.

Since the start of 2019, there have been 42 arrests for the illegal abstraction of electricity. Last year, 89 arrests were made.

The JPS says that the implementation of new technology and intense work on the ground resulted in a 0.18 per cent reduction in electricity theft for 2018 – the biggest reduction in losses in six years. The parishes with the highest rates of theft were Clarendon, Kingston and St Catherine, while the lowest levels of theft were in Portland and Hanover.

Man disarmed, detained after pulling gun in argument

The police in St Catherine North have taken one man into custody after a firearm with seven rounds of ammunition was handed over to them in Willowdene, Spanish Town, St Catherine, on Sunday.

Reports are that about 8:45 p.m., two men were involved in an altercation, when one of them pulled a firearm. A struggle ensued and the man was disarmed.

The police were alerted and a Beretta 9mm pistol with a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition was handed over.

A man, whose identity is being withheld pending further investigations, was taken into custody.