MOCA ARRESTS 4, SEIZES 2.7M

The Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) is reporting a very successful past fortnight, following last Thursday’s arrest and charge of three men for possession of identity information and criminal property, and the Monday, May 9th arrest of an employee of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MOF), for alleged breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

On Thursday, May 19, MOCA agents conducted a joint raid with the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (CTOC) and the Financial Investigations Division (FID), at an upscale apartment located at Kensington Place, Kingston. At the time of the raid, the apartment was occupied by Daniel Richards and another man, both of whom attempted to escape through the balcony into nearby apartments. Both men were later apprehended by the team and approximately JA$2 million, US$4860, 12 cell phones, 3 laptops and 1 tablet PC were seized. Several lead sheets with the personal financial information of a number of possible victims were also recovered. A third man, Akine Richards was also arrested during the raid.

The previous week, a Customer Service Representative with the Ministry of Finance was arrested on Monday, May 9, for allegedly soliciting a sum of $20,000.00 from a Senior Investigator of the Integrity Commission, in order to fast track an application for a motor vehicle duty concession. The individual was arrested by MOCA agents during a joint operation with the Integrity Commission (IC), and later charged with Corruptly Soliciting and Accepting Payment from the complainant.

According to MOCA’s Press Officer, Detective Inspector, Antoinette Morrison, “These arrests underscore the close working relationship between MOCA, the Integrity Commission, CTOC, the FID, and other National Security agencies.”

MOCA is encouraging persons with knowledge of these and other acts of organised criminality or corruption to notify the agency at (876) 906-5848 or online at moca.gov.jm.