JAMAICA – Cop among 25 arrested

A police corporal is among 25 people now behind bars in connection with a St Catherine-based gang that the police say has been wreaking havoc across the country.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey, head of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC), said the Uchence gang is responsible for several cases of murder, shootings, robberies and rape spanning seven parishes.
Gang leader 27 year old Uchence Wilson, otherwise called ‘Terrence’, along with 24 other gang members, including a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and three women, were arrested during raids in recent weeks.
ACP Bailey said 15 gang members were taken into custody on Saturday, following intense investigations and surveillance.
He said the gang has been on the police radar since May this year and was involved in murders, shootings, robberies, and cases of rape in St Catherine, St Ann, St Andrew, Manchester, Trelawny, St Mary and Clarendon.
“The group has been identified to perform sexual assaults on female victims, including children. They would also cause their victims to perform oral sex on each other in the presence of children in some cases (and) they would also reign terror if any level of resistance was encountered during their lawless activities,” ACP Bailey noted.
He said, so far, the police have identified at least 40 members of the gang.
According to ACP Bailey, it is estimated that the Uchence gang has stolen cars, licensed firearms, household appliances and other goods valued at more than $400 million and have been able to do so with the help of an unnamed company.
He said 17 motor vehicles and 15 licensed firearms were recovered during the operations.