By Chris Patterson
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The government of Jamaica has provided the United States, law enforcement agencies with a list of names of persons overseas supporting criminal activities in the country.
“I think it is important for criminals to understand that Jamaica does have very strong respected political and diplomatic links, and we have legal treaties and frameworks in which we can interdict and prosecute them in foreign jurisdiction,” said prime minister, Andrew Holness.
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He was speaking at a recent press conference at the office of the prime minister in St Andrew, where he declared states of public emergency in several parishes across the island.
“We provided the agencies and entities with a list of names that we have been tracking here, which we have certain intelligence on, and the entities are doing their work […] . I don’t want to say much, but you will see the results of our efforts very shortly,” he said.
Prime minister Holness, along with the commissioner of police, Major General Antony Anderson, recently met with senior officials of the United States Justice Department, which hosted a high-level meeting of law-enforcement and security agencies to discuss the growing threat of transnational criminal gangs, organised criminal violence and the trafficking of illegal guns into Jamaica.
“The commissioner said it very well in our meeting with the Justice Department, the FBI and several other law-enforcement agencies that were there … that we must show the criminals that their criminal links are not stronger than our government and diplomatic links,” he said.
A press release from the office of the prime minister stated that the meeting reviewed existing programmes and partnerships, identified gaps to be closed and explored new opportunities to advance collaboration.
“In addition, there was a commitment for greater and more effective information sharing. As part of this information-sharing thrust, Jamaican law enforcement has identified to US law enforcement a number of Jamaican criminal actors residing in the United States who are directing, soliciting, or financing crime in Jamaica,” the release said.
