By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterIN AN attempt to a put a lid on the escalating gang feud in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, 17 persons were taken into custody Wednesday, following a series of joint police/military operations carried out in the adjoining communities.
During one of the operations, an illegal .38 revolver was seized in the Morgan Lane area and four persons arrested. The police said among the detainees were one murder suspect and a man who had absconded bail and been involved in a series of crimes.
In June, the crime officer for the Spanish Town area, Deputy Superintendent Bertram Lee, had said one of the biggest problems in the Old Capital was the unwillingness of eyewitnesses to come forward and give formal statements.
REPEAT MURDERERS
DSP Lee stressed that repeat murderers were involved in a number of the killings across the St. Catherine Division. At the time, he said about 74 persons were reporting weekly on condition of bail, while another 80 absconded bail and were being sought.
Since Monday, Senior Superintendent Hector 'Bingi' White and a special team have been targeting the problem areas. On Tuesday, the team picked up 25 detainees from a wide cross-section of the town.
"Majority of the men were processed and released," said SSP White, when contacted yesterday.
Since the burial of Oliver 'Bubba' Smith, reputed leader of the 'One Order' gang, in mid-August, gun violence has erupted in Spanish Town and surrounding areas. Smith was killed by gunmen on Festival Avenue, off Whitehall Avenue in St. Andrew.
