Three prominent sports personalities, who represent Jamaica at the national level, are being probed by Scotland Yard detectives and Operation Kingfish in connection with a major arms smuggling, drugs and money laundering ring.
By Glenroy SinclairAccording to a government official who spoke with The Sunday Gleaner, one of the three has been under the microscope of Scotland Yard detectives over the past three years. He has been linked to one of the major gangs in the United Kingdom.
"This is a man who is responsible for distributing a large number of guns and ammunition across the Corporate Area," the government official said.
According to the official, although up to now there is no direct link of the sportsman to any shootings, it alleged that he has been influential in the killing of more than a dozen persons between the Corporate Area and St. Catherine.
CRIMINALITY AND THE SPORTSMEN
In explaining the connection between criminality and the sportsmen, the official alleged that whenever the three are representing Jamaica overseas, they use ingenious ways of smuggling drugs in their sports equipment.
A senior police officer confirmed that another of the three has been implicated in a major money laundering ring. Apart from those three, Operation Kingfish announced a month ago that they were eager to locate another prominent sports personality in western Jamaica who they wanted to interview. He has since left the island.
Contacted yesterday, head of Operation Kingfish, Assistant Commissioner Glenmore Hinds, would neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
PROMINENT SPORTS PERSONS
"We are targeting some networks and it is quite possible that some prominent sports persons might be involved in this network," said ACP Hinds.
Last week Scotland Yard detectives in collaboration with Operation Kingfish swooped down on a number of residences in upscale St. Andrew, searching for the assets of Owen 'Father Fowl' Clarke, the reputed leader of the 'British Link Up Crew'. He is now serving a 13-year prison term in the United Kingdom.
Preliminary investigations have so far revealed that a number of influential businessmen have been implicated in a money laundering ring with Clarke.
