(Jamaica Gleaner) – The police are moving quickly to seize the assets of at least 20 suspected gang lords who are believed to have amassed massive fortunes through a life of crime.
Some of these alleged gangsters are now in custody after turning themselves in last month while others are on the police wanted list.
Police Commissioner Owen Ellington announced the plan to hit the gangsters in their pockets as he sought to assure private-sector leaders of his commitment to rein in crime.
“In addition to going after them criminally, we are going to trace, locate and strip them of their assets,” Ellington said to loud applause.
“We have already earmarked 20 individuals in respect of whom we are going to strip assets and today we are serving papers on one individual [Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke],” added Ellington, to even more thunderous applause from those in attendance at a Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Chairman’s Club Forum.
There was less applause, however, as Ellington challenged the business leaders to do their part to sever ties which grant crime lords a veneer of legitimacy to launder the proceeds of their crimes.
“Many of these gangsters are able to launder ill-gotten gains because they find accommodation in private enterprise, so I think the first move against them is for the private sector to shut them out,” declared Ellington.
The commissioner later told The Gleaner that the police would be relying on the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) to seize the assets of suspected criminals, even in cases where they are not convicted of any crime.
Ellington noted that POCA provides for the civil forfeiture of property of persons who “demonstrate a criminal lifestyle”.
However, he accepted that for the police to seize the assets of suspected criminals, detectives would have to carry out much research, analysis, forensic accounting and seek legal guidance.
Calls for the seizure of the assets of criminals have been increasing in recent weeks, with the disclosure that some mansions in upscale suburbs and posh vehicles were owned by suspected inner-city dons.
Several persons have noted that POCA, which was passed into law in May 2007, provides the police with the ammunition to seize these assets.
Earlier this year, the Financial Investigations Division reported that POCA had been used to wrest close to half a billion dollars in cash out of the hands of criminals.
But that is a drop in the bucket for those who have amassed their wealth through the illegal drug trade, gunrunning and extortion.
