News Briefs

Seaga's body to arrive Sunday

The body of the late Edward Seaga will be flown to Jamaica on Sunday evening.

Seaga, who served as Jamaica's fifth prime minister, who was head of Government from 1980 to 1989, died on Tuesday at a Florida hospital in the United States.

The body is expected to be accompanied by his widow, Carla, and other family members, and will be received by government officials with an honour guard.

Seaga's body will lie in state over a period of time for mourning prior to his state funeral, and there will also be a special sitting of Parliament to allow members to pay tribute to him and his achievements.

Seaga died on his 89th birthday, surrounded by his family, friends and a team of Jamaican doctors who had been fighting to keep him alive since early May.

 

 

$17m worth of cocaine found at port

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is reporting the seizure of 10 packages of cocaine at the Port of Kingston.

The seizure took place on Thursday after a joint operation by officers from the JCA’s Contraband Enforcement Team, the Jamaica Constabulary Narcotics Division and other enforcement entities at the port.

During the search of an import container, eight parcels containing 10 packages of cocaine, weighing 12kg, with a street value of $17,688,000 was detected.

No arrests have been made in relation to this seizure.

Investigations continue.

 

 

TAJ attendant convicted over stolen motor vehicle registration certificate

Commissioner of the Revenue Protection Division at the Finance Ministry, Cranston Morgan, is cautioning members of the public to ensure that they conduct business with the specifically designated officers within the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ).

Morgan says there are avenues available to the public to solve any challenges.

The appeal came in light of the conviction of 55-year-old TAJ attendant Winston ‘Bob’ Hastings, who stole and later sold a motor vehicle registration certificate.

Hastings was found guilty of obtaining money by false pretence, receiving stolen property, and two counts of possession of revenue paper before being duly issued for public use last Friday in the St James Parish Court and he is to be sentenced on July 25.

On that date, he is expected to answer to two charges of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act arising from the same matter.

 

 

Jamaicans among Caribbean nationals held in Florida smuggling attempt

Jamaicans were among several Caribbean nationals who were apprehended by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency during an attempted migrant smuggling exercise Pompano Beach on Thursday.

CBP said its agents working closely with deputies assigned to the Broward County Sheriff’s Marine Unit in Miami “located and apprehended 13 individuals running onto the beach” following a brief boat pursuit.

It said the illegal immigrants included nationals from Jamaica, Haiti, The Bahamas, Turkey and Sierra Leone and that three of the unidentified migrants had been previously deported from the United States.

“The successful law enforcement operation highlights the importance of the partnerships between Miami Sector Border Patrol and its federal, state and local partners to secure Florida’s coastal border,” said US Border Patrol Miami Sector Division Chief Peter Daniel.

“We will continue our efforts to keep communities safe while protecting America’s coastal borders.”

CBP said the unidentified Bahamian national in custody will be charged with “alien smuggling” by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.