KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force says 17 men and one woman have been arrested in Kingston, St. Andrew, Clarendon, St. James and Westmoreland for various offenses under the newly-enacted anti-gang legislation.
The police say three of the men, Ismael Higgins, Shaquille Barnes and Christopher Lyons, are members of the ‘Scare Dem’ gang based in west Kingston who have been charged with participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.
Three other west Kingston men, Demar James, Javanne Whoupe and Curtis Richards, have been charged for being part of, or participating in a criminal organisation.
In Clarendon, the police say five members of the ‘Savannah’ gang – Mario White, Kenric White, Shammar Mitchell, Henry Samuels and Grafton Friths – were arrested for participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.
Over in Westmoreland, the police say they arrested two members of the ‘Tony Reid’ gang, Romario Sinclair and Linval Forrester, for impersonating law enforcement officers and being part of a criminal organisation.
The lone female in the group, Kimesha Williams, has been charged with participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.
The Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act 2014, also known as the anti-gang law, was passed by Parliament this year to target criminal gangs who the police are behind a majority of the murders reported in Jamaica.