Kingston, Jamaica – The Andrew Holness led administration has provided law enforcement agencies in the United States with a list of names of people overseas who are supporting criminal activities here.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the disclosure as he spoke during a recent press briefing.
“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.”
“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.
Holness, along with 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,” Holness 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 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. (CMC)