Billions in arms - Police say lottery scam funding weapons purchase in St James

published: Friday | October 3, 2008

Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator


Assistant Commissioner of Police Denver Frater, officer in charge of the Area One Police Division. - Photo by Noel Thompson

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE POLICE efforts to break the back of the lottery scam in St James, the scheme remains vibrant and is reportedly pumping billions of dollars into the criminal underworld.

"If you look in recent times at the calibre weapons that are recovered by the police, the amount of rounds, ammunition being expended and recovered at crime scenes and the motives, investigations point to the lotto scam," Assistant Commissioner of Police Denver Frater, officer in charge of the Area One Police Division, told The Gleaner during a visit to its Western Bureau offices in Montego Bay yesterday.

Frater, who has responsibility for the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland, described the scam as a "unique challenge to law enforcement".

"It is a clear indication that billions of dollars are in circulation coming from this scheme."

He further stated: "If you look at some communities, the sudden rise to fame in terms of assets (such as) houses and motor cars, these are not cheap. The lifestyles of some persons clearly demonstrate the volume of cash that is being circulated."

The lotto scam involves fleecing unsuspecting Americans of large sums of money. Local scam artists use illicitly obtained personal information on potential victims, particularly retirees, to con them into sending them money on the pretext that they have won a lottery and need to send a processing fee to claim their winnings.

Police information indicates that players, who also include schoolchildren, make US$4,000 (J$288,000) to US$10,000 (J$720,000) on average weekly.

The lotto scam has also been linked to several murders, kidnappings and robberies in St James, which accounts for 12 per cent of the country's crime rate.

Frater, who managed the Criminal Investigation Branch portfolio before his transfer to Area One last month, noted that despite some disappointment with the cooperation of potential complainants, investigators will be using the Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering Acts to counter lotto players.

"Investigation of this sort is not a one slam thing. It is going to take some time to get our case together. We have some success, we have had persons' properties forfeited, persons have gone to prison, and there are a number of other persons from St James in the waiting gallery to go to prison," the Frater said.

nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com