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Chinese nationals arrested for illegal imports
Friday, 07 May 2010
Four Chinese nationals were taken into custody and several hundred thousand dollars worth of contraband seized in a major police operation on Friday morning.
Policemen and women attached to the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) made the seizure as the police continue their clampdown on illegal imports.
The police operation spanned upper St. Andrew and culminated in Downtown Kingston.
<span style="font-weight: bold">What began in the cooler climes of Russell Heights in Upper St. Andrew</span> culminated under the harsh mid-morning sunshine in the middle of the market district of downtown Kingston.
OCID investigators swooped down on the palatial mansion in the upscale community emerging with four Chinese nationals and several carton boxes containing hundreds of cigarettes, bleaching cream, batteries and other products.
The men were taken to the OCID Headquarters where the goods were off-loaded.
The Police team then beefed up its numbers and accompanied by the suspects went to two wholesale stores located in the heart of downtown Kingston.
The first stop was at New Island Wholesale at the corner of Orange and Heywood Streets and that was swiftly followed by another raid at the nearby Seabreeze Whole and Retail store at 16 North Parade.
At the end of those raids more boxes, these containing cosmetics, batteries and rags and a large stash of cash were also seized.
Head of the Constabulary Communication Network Inspector Steve Brown in an impromptu briefing said the illegal cigarette business is mushrooming.
"This counterfeit cigarette trade is getting bigger in Jamaica. Because we have taken them on in the guns-for-drugs trade and in the cocaine trade, we have taken them on in other illegal activities and they have now switched their attention to the counterfeit cigarette trade and we are on top of them as well," Inspector Brown said.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Just last month 50-year-old businessman Jason Kong and 30-year-old Yun Seng Xhang were charged with breaches of the Trademark Act and the Excise Duty Control Act following a raid on a house in Beverley Hills, St. Andrew</span>.
Cash amounting to more than $40 million was seized at the property.
And Inspector Brown asserted that the police will not be swayed by threats leveled against members of the team.
In the wake of last month's clampdown on the illegal imports, death threats were leveled against members of OCID.
But Inspector Brown insisted that has not impacted on the commitment of the police.
"Well it hasn't affected how we perform but the death threats will come. Frankly speaking, it comes with the territory and once you hit these guys hard they will try to get at you but at the same time we are getting at them and we will continue to get at them no matter what amount of threats they want to send," he said.
Friday, 07 May 2010
Four Chinese nationals were taken into custody and several hundred thousand dollars worth of contraband seized in a major police operation on Friday morning.
Policemen and women attached to the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) made the seizure as the police continue their clampdown on illegal imports.
The police operation spanned upper St. Andrew and culminated in Downtown Kingston.
<span style="font-weight: bold">What began in the cooler climes of Russell Heights in Upper St. Andrew</span> culminated under the harsh mid-morning sunshine in the middle of the market district of downtown Kingston.
OCID investigators swooped down on the palatial mansion in the upscale community emerging with four Chinese nationals and several carton boxes containing hundreds of cigarettes, bleaching cream, batteries and other products.
The men were taken to the OCID Headquarters where the goods were off-loaded.
The Police team then beefed up its numbers and accompanied by the suspects went to two wholesale stores located in the heart of downtown Kingston.
The first stop was at New Island Wholesale at the corner of Orange and Heywood Streets and that was swiftly followed by another raid at the nearby Seabreeze Whole and Retail store at 16 North Parade.
At the end of those raids more boxes, these containing cosmetics, batteries and rags and a large stash of cash were also seized.
Head of the Constabulary Communication Network Inspector Steve Brown in an impromptu briefing said the illegal cigarette business is mushrooming.
"This counterfeit cigarette trade is getting bigger in Jamaica. Because we have taken them on in the guns-for-drugs trade and in the cocaine trade, we have taken them on in other illegal activities and they have now switched their attention to the counterfeit cigarette trade and we are on top of them as well," Inspector Brown said.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Just last month 50-year-old businessman Jason Kong and 30-year-old Yun Seng Xhang were charged with breaches of the Trademark Act and the Excise Duty Control Act following a raid on a house in Beverley Hills, St. Andrew</span>.
Cash amounting to more than $40 million was seized at the property.
And Inspector Brown asserted that the police will not be swayed by threats leveled against members of the team.
In the wake of last month's clampdown on the illegal imports, death threats were leveled against members of OCID.
But Inspector Brown insisted that has not impacted on the commitment of the police.
"Well it hasn't affected how we perform but the death threats will come. Frankly speaking, it comes with the territory and once you hit these guys hard they will try to get at you but at the same time we are getting at them and we will continue to get at them no matter what amount of threats they want to send," he said.
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