Cops nabbed at airport
Constables attached to St Andrew South fingered in multimillion Chinese robbery
Published:Friday | June 9, 2023 | 1:27 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
TWO MEN who swore to serve, reassure, and protect, in roles as law enforcement personnel, might have found themselves on the wrong side of the law after a multimillion-dollar robbery of Chinese nationals on Tuesday in Kingston.
The officers and their accomplices are alleged to have used skullduggery to fleece approximately $15 million in cash from the business operators.
The policemen, who were reportedly nabbed at the Norman Manley International Airport where they are believed to have been attempting to flee the island on Wednesday, are attached to the Hunts Bay police in the St Andrew South division.
The men are now the subject of an identification parade while police hunt their accomplices.
The two policemen and three other men allegedly went to the location and swindled local and US currency from the unsuspecting Chinese nationals who operate a wholesale.
A senior officer with knowledge of the investigation told The Gleaner that the actions of the men were captured on CCTV.
“It appears the men went to the location. They entered and removed a few cameras. They then removed their mask without knowledge of another camera, which captured the happenings ... . They attempted to flee to the States and were held yesterday (Wednesday) by CTOC,” the police officer, who requested anonymity, said.
Reports are that about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the two Chinese nationals were at their wholesale when they were visited by the policemen dressed in plain clothes.
The policemen showed their ID and presented a fake search warrant they said was from the Constant Spring police.
The reason given for the search was suspicion of uncustomed goods.
They were subsequently granted access to the establishment.
It is alleged that the men searched the property and made off with J$8.5 million along with US$40,000 from a filing cabinet.
The Gleaner gathered that the Chinese nationals objected to the cash being confiscated but were reportedly told that the monies would be returned at the station.
Reports are that when the policemen entered their vehicle, they sped away, leaving the business operators.
They also took an iPhone, which was tracked to a St Andrew community, where it was found destroyed.
The Gleaner was unable to reach the head of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Jamaica for comment.