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Teenagers from upscale communities in the Corporate Area are forking out money to inner-city gangsters for them to play bodyguard roles, THE WEEKEND STAR has found out.
Investigations show that gangsters, some well-known from various volatile communities are being paid to hit the streets, clubs, and parties with teens who are more than willing to pay for protection.
These teens pay between $3,000 and $5,000 for protection from these men, depending on where they are needed to go.
"It all depends weh dem waa mi go wid dem, eno, and how long dem waa mi roll wid dem, and stuff like dat. Di money weh dem a go give mi based pon di flex weh wi mek. Bigga flex mean bigga money," expalined Dusty* a 24-year-old thug from Waterhouse, St Andrew, who claims to be 'bodyguard'. "A jus like how some politician, or suh, woulda pay some man fi roll wid dem, a di same thing di likkle uptown yute dem a do cause dem see how road a run, and dem know seh our head hot a road."
He said he recently made $10,000 in one week by simply going to three parties with a group of schoolboys from Mona Heights, St Andrew.
link to di streets
One of the teens, who said he was 16, confirmed the gangster's claim and was quick to label the thug as their "link" to streets. "Dem yute deh a wi link, a him wi roll wid in di streets. Anywhere we a go, wi pick him up and him do road wid we," the teen explained.
Wezzy, a known thug from Jacques Road, east Kingston, boasted about looking forward to at least $3,000 every week for simply walking through the streets of downtown Kingston with a group of uptown teens who shop for clothes and sneakers. "From dem a step inna di town dem call mi. Mi meet dem dung deh and me and dem step it. Dem naw lef mi out cause dem know mi have dem headback straight from mi out wid dem," he said.
Asked if he ever had to intervene and 'work' for his money, Wezzy replied, "Den nuh muss, badman. From yu see dem yute deh yu see uptown. And mi naw lie. A nuff time me and dem a step inna di town and mi affi mek man know seh a my link dem, suh dem, fi know dem role, but yea mi affi lick een bway face fi dem already."
When asked the same question, Dusty smiled before asking, "Suh why dem woulda gimmi money fi touch di road wid dem?"
Head of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey, said the police are not aware of such a situation, but promised to listen or look out for evidence of its occurence.
The high-ranking crime fighter pointed out that there is only one law enforcement agency in the island with the responsibility to protect citizens of the island.
"I am not aware of it, and so I can't comment much, but if we talk about protection, then that is the duty of the police. That is our responsibility," he explained.
Investigations show that gangsters, some well-known from various volatile communities are being paid to hit the streets, clubs, and parties with teens who are more than willing to pay for protection.
These teens pay between $3,000 and $5,000 for protection from these men, depending on where they are needed to go.
"It all depends weh dem waa mi go wid dem, eno, and how long dem waa mi roll wid dem, and stuff like dat. Di money weh dem a go give mi based pon di flex weh wi mek. Bigga flex mean bigga money," expalined Dusty* a 24-year-old thug from Waterhouse, St Andrew, who claims to be 'bodyguard'. "A jus like how some politician, or suh, woulda pay some man fi roll wid dem, a di same thing di likkle uptown yute dem a do cause dem see how road a run, and dem know seh our head hot a road."
He said he recently made $10,000 in one week by simply going to three parties with a group of schoolboys from Mona Heights, St Andrew.
link to di streets
One of the teens, who said he was 16, confirmed the gangster's claim and was quick to label the thug as their "link" to streets. "Dem yute deh a wi link, a him wi roll wid in di streets. Anywhere we a go, wi pick him up and him do road wid we," the teen explained.
Wezzy, a known thug from Jacques Road, east Kingston, boasted about looking forward to at least $3,000 every week for simply walking through the streets of downtown Kingston with a group of uptown teens who shop for clothes and sneakers. "From dem a step inna di town dem call mi. Mi meet dem dung deh and me and dem step it. Dem naw lef mi out cause dem know mi have dem headback straight from mi out wid dem," he said.
Asked if he ever had to intervene and 'work' for his money, Wezzy replied, "Den nuh muss, badman. From yu see dem yute deh yu see uptown. And mi naw lie. A nuff time me and dem a step inna di town and mi affi mek man know seh a my link dem, suh dem, fi know dem role, but yea mi affi lick een bway face fi dem already."
When asked the same question, Dusty smiled before asking, "Suh why dem woulda gimmi money fi touch di road wid dem?"
Head of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), Senior Superintendent Fitz Bailey, said the police are not aware of such a situation, but promised to listen or look out for evidence of its occurence.
The high-ranking crime fighter pointed out that there is only one law enforcement agency in the island with the responsibility to protect citizens of the island.
"I am not aware of it, and so I can't comment much, but if we talk about protection, then that is the duty of the police. That is our responsibility," he explained.
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