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Policemen back auto-theft ring
published: Sunday | February 10, 2008
File
THE MULTIMILLION-dollar car-stealing ring involving the police, which led to the disappearance of businessman Oliver Duncan, 35, and Kemar Walters, a 20-year-old mechanic apprentice, on December 23, 2004, began in the late 1990s, and continues today on a reduced scale.
In the late 1990s, the Organised Crime Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), mandated to crack down on the spiralling incidents of motor-vehicle theft, stumbled on a car-stealing operation in Golden Spring, St Andrew. Investigators found four motor vehicles, including a Nissan Sunny station wagon, stolen weeks before from the Catherine Hall entertainment complex in Montego Bay. They also found a large quantity of motor-vehicle parts, registration plates and other car assessories in a makeshift body shop.
While the lawmen were able to determine the ownership of the Nissan Sunny motor car, they had difficulty matching the other vehicles with vehicles reported stolen.
The men at the body shop also produced what appeared to be legitimate documents for each motor car there. There were, nevertheless, some noticeable similarities among the documents: They all originated from the same Inland Revenue office in the Corporate Area; and, despite the vehicles being insured by different insurance carriers, the registration documents were all issued on the same date.
No one was arrested. Instead, the cops accepted money from the culprits, took the Nissan Sunny motor car, and departed.
Mastermind
Oliver Duncan with child in hand (left) and Kemar Walters (right). - Contributed photos
The mastermind behind the car thefts was a notorious car thief in the underworld who is at present before the courts for numerous counts of driving away motor vehicles without the owner's consent, and unlawful possession of property.
While in prison for a previous conviction of car stealing, between 2002 and 2004, the mastermind received frequent visits from an investigator attached to the Organised Crime Unit, who is now stationed elsewhere in the JCF. The association between the chief car thief and the policeman began when he led an investigation into an increase in reported incidents of car thefts in the Forest Hills area of St Andrew in 2001.
Although the information gathered strongly implicated the mastermind of the car-stealing ring and his cronies, the police took no action against them. Instead, the lead investigator and his colleagues accepted money offered by the car thieves.
Realising the kind of money that could be made in the auto-theft business, the cops became more involved in the crime ring's operations. With the involvement of the lawmen, the thieves were able to network their activities throughout the island, specialising in high-end vehicles, Honda CRVs, Toyota TownAce and Hiace buses, as well as Toyota motor cars.
Lead role by police
The police investigator, who has a commanding personality, soon took a lead role in the activities of the auto-stealing ring. He deputised during some of the mastermind's numerous bouts of imprisonment, and, even after his release, continued to be a dominant figure in the criminal enterprise.
One of the policemen, who had accepted a bribe during the Forest Hills car-theft investigation, was subsequently assigned to an inland revenue facility in the Corporate Area. His covert role was to strengthen the link at the agency to ensure that the car-stealing ring was able to procure required motor-vehicle documents. He also offered this service to private citizens for a fee.
Another lawman - now serving time - was a skilled defensive driver and computer whiz who provided information of police operations and roadblocks. He received his information through a source at police control.
With the involvement of the lawmen, the car thieves exuded a higher level of confidence, and they soon established additional 'chop shops' and 'collection sites' in strategic locations throughout the island. These included Peppers in St Elizabeth and Delveland in Westmoreland; Hamilton Mountain in St Mary; Sanguinetti, located near the border of Clarendon and Manchester; Adelphi in St James; and Blue Hole, Guys Hill and Kitson Town in St Catherine.
But, the involvement of the police did not go down well with some of the original members of the car-stealing ring. They reasoned that with the police accomplices out of the way, their share of the spoils would increase.
Tomorrow: The struggle between police and thieves
published: Sunday | February 10, 2008
File
THE MULTIMILLION-dollar car-stealing ring involving the police, which led to the disappearance of businessman Oliver Duncan, 35, and Kemar Walters, a 20-year-old mechanic apprentice, on December 23, 2004, began in the late 1990s, and continues today on a reduced scale.
In the late 1990s, the Organised Crime Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), mandated to crack down on the spiralling incidents of motor-vehicle theft, stumbled on a car-stealing operation in Golden Spring, St Andrew. Investigators found four motor vehicles, including a Nissan Sunny station wagon, stolen weeks before from the Catherine Hall entertainment complex in Montego Bay. They also found a large quantity of motor-vehicle parts, registration plates and other car assessories in a makeshift body shop.
While the lawmen were able to determine the ownership of the Nissan Sunny motor car, they had difficulty matching the other vehicles with vehicles reported stolen.
The men at the body shop also produced what appeared to be legitimate documents for each motor car there. There were, nevertheless, some noticeable similarities among the documents: They all originated from the same Inland Revenue office in the Corporate Area; and, despite the vehicles being insured by different insurance carriers, the registration documents were all issued on the same date.
No one was arrested. Instead, the cops accepted money from the culprits, took the Nissan Sunny motor car, and departed.
Mastermind
Oliver Duncan with child in hand (left) and Kemar Walters (right). - Contributed photos
The mastermind behind the car thefts was a notorious car thief in the underworld who is at present before the courts for numerous counts of driving away motor vehicles without the owner's consent, and unlawful possession of property.
While in prison for a previous conviction of car stealing, between 2002 and 2004, the mastermind received frequent visits from an investigator attached to the Organised Crime Unit, who is now stationed elsewhere in the JCF. The association between the chief car thief and the policeman began when he led an investigation into an increase in reported incidents of car thefts in the Forest Hills area of St Andrew in 2001.
Although the information gathered strongly implicated the mastermind of the car-stealing ring and his cronies, the police took no action against them. Instead, the lead investigator and his colleagues accepted money offered by the car thieves.
Realising the kind of money that could be made in the auto-theft business, the cops became more involved in the crime ring's operations. With the involvement of the lawmen, the thieves were able to network their activities throughout the island, specialising in high-end vehicles, Honda CRVs, Toyota TownAce and Hiace buses, as well as Toyota motor cars.
Lead role by police
The police investigator, who has a commanding personality, soon took a lead role in the activities of the auto-stealing ring. He deputised during some of the mastermind's numerous bouts of imprisonment, and, even after his release, continued to be a dominant figure in the criminal enterprise.
One of the policemen, who had accepted a bribe during the Forest Hills car-theft investigation, was subsequently assigned to an inland revenue facility in the Corporate Area. His covert role was to strengthen the link at the agency to ensure that the car-stealing ring was able to procure required motor-vehicle documents. He also offered this service to private citizens for a fee.
Another lawman - now serving time - was a skilled defensive driver and computer whiz who provided information of police operations and roadblocks. He received his information through a source at police control.
With the involvement of the lawmen, the car thieves exuded a higher level of confidence, and they soon established additional 'chop shops' and 'collection sites' in strategic locations throughout the island. These included Peppers in St Elizabeth and Delveland in Westmoreland; Hamilton Mountain in St Mary; Sanguinetti, located near the border of Clarendon and Manchester; Adelphi in St James; and Blue Hole, Guys Hill and Kitson Town in St Catherine.
But, the involvement of the police did not go down well with some of the original members of the car-stealing ring. They reasoned that with the police accomplices out of the way, their share of the spoils would increase.
Tomorrow: The struggle between police and thieves
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