Probe widens after massive car stealing operation uncovered in St Mary
Published:Wednesday | January 24, 2024 | 12:48 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer - ROCKY HILL, St Mary
The St Mary police, with support from other investigative arms within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), have intensified their investigation into what appears to be a major car stealing ring in the parish.
The widening investigation, comprising the Stolen Motor Vehicles Unit and the Criminal Investigation Branch, comes on the heels of the discovery of dozens of vehicle shells at two separate but highly dense, vegetated areas at Rocky Hill, Retreat, in the parish by members of the local police team.
So far, approximately 41 vehicles that appear to have been stolen and then scrapped have been discovered and, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Area two, Calvin Allen, the find came as a result of one of the stolen vehicles carrying a tracking device aboard.
“We are not going to leave any evidence to chance in terms of ascertaining exactly where these parts are, who is collecting these parts, and what is being done,” said Allen.
Allen pointed out that, as a result of the police uncovering what he described as “a massive stolen motor vehicle ring that has been taking place”, all the critical and specialised arms of the JCF, to include the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigative Unit (CTOC) and the Stolen Motor Vehicle Unit have been engaged.
“This is done so as to ensure that all investigative procedures are engaged, the necessary evidence gathered, and we will follow the evidence to wherever it leads us. What we have seen is naturally the dismantling, the cutting up of vehicles. A lot of parts have been taken off these vehicles and I want to commend the team that responded so quickly to that situation, “Allen further said.
In the meantime, Superintendent of police for the St Mary division, Bobette Morgan-Simpson, said the search has so far pointed to the theft of a large number of Axio motor cars which, according to her, appeared to be the preferred choice among car thieves, along with stolen licence plates.
It is against that background that Morgan-Simpson is urging motor vehicle owners to be vigilant and to install tracking devices, so as to be better able to track their vehicles in the event that they are stolen.