Jamaican law enforcement authorities probing a local lottery scam operation that reportedly fleeced an American of US$300,000 have taken four men into custody.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communication Unit (CCU) reports that the men were held during coordinated operations conducted by the police and the Financial Investigation Division (FID) in Kingston and St James yesterday.

CCU says the men will be interviewed in the presence of their attorneys before criminal charges are laid.

The CCU says several lead sheets and other paraphernalia used in the lottery scam were seized during the six-hour pre-dawn operations in East Kingston and St James.

It says eight persons were also arrested after a homemade firearm was seized at one of the premises.

Meanwhile, Chief Technical Director of the FID Robin Sykes is warning that yesterday’s operation is just one of several that we will be carried out in the coming weeks.

Sykes says investigators will be going after those persons who seek to deceive victims through the lottery scam.

However, he says they will also go after those who assist by collecting the payments through bank transfers or remittances.