Jamaica: Mass burial site claim
From The Daily Herald
JAMAICA–A stunning claim has been made by a former gang member in the eastern belt of the Jamaica capital, that men in the criminal underworld, often assisted by rogue policemen, have been killing people and burying their bodies in the vicinity of a sand mine.
The practice, according to the man, has been going on for “whole heap a years,” and is carried out by individuals who are based between the East Kingston community of Rockfort and the adjoining Harbour View in East Rural St. Andrew.
The young man, who has been keeping a low profile since the area became tense recently, told the Jamaica Observer that he knew most of what happens in the community.
Late last week, he accompanied a Sunday Observer team to a section of Harbour View called “Crusher” and pointed to three spots in the remote community, through which the Hope River runs, where he said he was sure several bodies were buried.
“Is nearly 100 bodies buried in the river bed. Dem usually use the big tractor dem, but sometimes when the tractors not there, dem use shovel,” the man said.
The Sunday Observer team saw several pieces of heavy duty equipment on the way to the alleged burial sites, but had no evidence to suggest that those were at any time used in the activity described by the ex-gangster.
According to the informant, most of the criminal activities are carried out by members of the “Mad Ants Crew,” which has since changed its name to “Bay Shore.”
The man, who cannot be named for security reasons, said that he was initially associated with the gang and saw several things happening around him that had hurt his gut. Now he wants to turn his life around.
He does not have a criminal record, as he was detained briefly in a police lock-up once for failing to pay his fare on a minibus and was later released. On another occasion, he was held for being in possession of a ganja “spliff.”
“I see all the Dons and I used to be around some of the youth dem, because dem look up to me,” he said.
“Things got bad when some youth got guns from overseas [through a now imprisoned Don-Ed.], and they got unruly and started to rob people and rape the women. Eventually, they got another set of youth to get rid of the first set a youth dem, by sending a vanload of guns to wipe dem out.
“When they are going to step out and do a thing at night time, the police would pass through first. A certain set of police would go with the men and make sure things allright.
“When certain shipment of drugs coming out or going in, police escort it. They set up roadblocks … nutten can’t pass, especially on the airport road, and then dem let it go.
“Even the teacher from Mona get innocently caught up,” he said.
That January 5 killing of two men, one of them who formerly taught at Mona Primary School, is among several that have gone without the apprehension of those responsible.
According to the man, the murders of Paul Walker (26), a grade five teacher at Mona Primary, who lived at Goldsmith Villa in Eastern St. Andrew and his friend Omar Campbell, also called “Biggs,” originally of a Clarendon address, were carried out by a man linked to the same killing ring.
“Even with the teacher murder the other day over Harbour View, dem have a part inna it. The youth who do the act shot up the wrong people. Is two innocent man them kill. The whole thing stem from a dispute with two man over a woman.”
The murder of Detective Sergeant Courtney Simpson, the former bodyguard to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, and State Minister for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Julian Robinson, is another that the informant said was skilfully planned and carried out.
Detective Sergeant Simpson of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Protective Services division was shot multiple times on the porch of his house, as he exited his vehicle on the night of April 8, last year. He died shortly thereafter at hospital.
“Dem have nearly 100 bodies buried there, because this has been going on for a long time. Even a youth from August Town dem kill,” the informant said,
One high-profile investigator, who is assigned to one of the Constabulary Force’s more prominent crime fighting units, told the Sunday Observer that he was not aware of the claims made, although he had heard “whisperings at certain times.”
The senior investigator, who asked not to be named, as he was not geographically responsible for the area under the microscope, also opted not to touch on the circumstances surrounding Detective Sergeant Simpson’s death, nor delve further into what has been behind the killings in the general East Kingston/Harbour View area.
“This one is bigger than me. I suggest you go to the very top,” he said, referring to Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington.
Although the young man said he had vital information that could assist the police in solving some of the murders committed, he is not seeking protection, as he said he had no confidence in the police.
“I don’t trust the Witness Protection Programme, because the police will send man come kill me same way. I don’t trust the police. I rather trust some of the youth dem around me,” he said. ~ Jamaica Observer ~
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