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Leave 'lotto scammers' - resident tells Bunting
Published: Wednesday | February 29, 2012 0 Comments
WESTERN BUREAU: WHILE WELCOMING the regular curfews which have now become a way of life in the western city, at least one resident of Montego Bay wants National Security Minister Peter Bunting to leave 'lotto scammers' out of the equation.
Minister Bunting made the startling disclosure while addressing last Friday's re-opening of the newly refurbished Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay, which was repaired at a cost of J$7 million after being extensively damaged by fire.
"A lady person said to me, 'I support the curfews, minister, and I like what you are doing, but don't trouble the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]lotto[/COLOR][/COLOR] scammers because a lot of people benefiting from that'," Bunting recounted.
"It brought home to me that the average person may not be making the connection between the activities of the scammers and the violent crimes that we see in Montego Bay."
The minister also used the opportunity to point out that 40 per cent of the murders in St James are related to the operations of the lotto scam, something he noted that residents must consider when advocating that 'scammers' should be allowed to carry on with the illicit scheme.
Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, who was also present at the reopening ceremony, was quite strident in declaring that the lotto scam should not be allowed to continue. He also noted that those who are supportive of the lotto scam could be in for a rude awakening.
"We are trying to make it (being a lotto scammer) unfashionable," Commissioner Ellington said. "They (scammers) use these monies to create a false economic environment in terms of the price of houses and commodities in Montego Bay, making it way out of market reality."
Two weekends ago, the St James police had one of its better days against lotto scammers, as some 30 persons were arrested and vehicles valued in excess of $J450 million seized in operations carried out in Rose Heights and Rhyne Park.
"They promote an antisocial behaviour which attracts youngsters into a life of criminality and dishonesty, so it is something that has to be dealt with and done decisively," the commissioner said. "There can be no tolerance to it. Jamaica is getting a very bad reputation abroad as a nation of scammers."
sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com
Published: Wednesday | February 29, 2012 0 Comments
WESTERN BUREAU: WHILE WELCOMING the regular curfews which have now become a way of life in the western city, at least one resident of Montego Bay wants National Security Minister Peter Bunting to leave 'lotto scammers' out of the equation.
Minister Bunting made the startling disclosure while addressing last Friday's re-opening of the newly refurbished Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay, which was repaired at a cost of J$7 million after being extensively damaged by fire.
"A lady person said to me, 'I support the curfews, minister, and I like what you are doing, but don't trouble the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]lotto[/COLOR][/COLOR] scammers because a lot of people benefiting from that'," Bunting recounted.
"It brought home to me that the average person may not be making the connection between the activities of the scammers and the violent crimes that we see in Montego Bay."
The minister also used the opportunity to point out that 40 per cent of the murders in St James are related to the operations of the lotto scam, something he noted that residents must consider when advocating that 'scammers' should be allowed to carry on with the illicit scheme.
Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, who was also present at the reopening ceremony, was quite strident in declaring that the lotto scam should not be allowed to continue. He also noted that those who are supportive of the lotto scam could be in for a rude awakening.
"We are trying to make it (being a lotto scammer) unfashionable," Commissioner Ellington said. "They (scammers) use these monies to create a false economic environment in terms of the price of houses and commodities in Montego Bay, making it way out of market reality."
Two weekends ago, the St James police had one of its better days against lotto scammers, as some 30 persons were arrested and vehicles valued in excess of $J450 million seized in operations carried out in Rose Heights and Rhyne Park.
"They promote an antisocial behaviour which attracts youngsters into a life of criminality and dishonesty, so it is something that has to be dealt with and done decisively," the commissioner said. "There can be no tolerance to it. Jamaica is getting a very bad reputation abroad as a nation of scammers."
sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com
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