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Operation Kingfish Gets High Marks

February 4, 2005

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With just four months since its establishment, the government is reporting that Operation Kingfish has made significant strides towards its goal of cracking down on illegal drug trafficking and its associate criminal activities.
Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, addressing a press conference at his Oxford Road office on February 2, said that the anti-crime initiative, launched last October, had led to the seizure of hundreds of rounds of ammunition; the arrests of 89 persons for offences ranging from illegal possession of drugs to murder; the seizure of 22 firearms; and some 44 boats were detained on suspicion of their use in organised criminal dealings.
He added that significant amounts of ganja and hash oil were also seized. “Operation Kingfish has also participated in the seizure of some 7.2 metric tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value in the United States of hundreds of millions of dollars,” Dr. Phillips further informed.
He pointed out that through the government’s partnerships with law enforcement officials in both the United States and United Kingdom, coupled with the earlier efforts of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, there had been a marked reduction in cocaine entering those countries from Jamaica.
“The intensive drive of the Operation has made it increasingly difficult for organised crime syndicates operating in Jamaica to conduct business as usual. Intelligence suggests that in response to the tightening noose, players in the drug trade have turned their exporting efforts to the postal services and other countries,” he said.
The Minister told journalists, that Kingfish was continuing the process of consolidating its information base and had been utilising the information it received, “to undertake decisive action to dismantle the major organised criminal gangs.” He said that the disruption of gangs was being accomplished “through intelligence gathering and concomitant measures with respect to case preparation and arrests.”
Stressing that Kingfish was making “steady progress” in the fight against crime, the National Security Minister also indicated, that the programme was gaining the support of the Jamaican public. “Thousands of actionable calls have come into the task force’s toll free line,” he said, adding that, “this provides evidence of the extent of the public support for the operation.”

Last Updated: February 4, 2005

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