WESTERN BUREAU:

Two major players in the illegal lottery scam which operates out of Montego Bay, St. James, were picked up by the police yesterday.

The latest success against the illegal operation follows collaboration between Operation Kingfish and the Fraud Squad.

"This (yesterday) morning we went after some major players, we picked up at least 10 people (four of whom are women), and we are sure that four of them will be taken to Kingston for further investigations," said Inspector of Police, Steve Brown, information officer for Operation Kingfish.

He was addressing members of the media during a press briefing in Montego Bay.

"One of the main targets, Eric Samuels, was picked up in the Porto Bello area. He has a businessplace in Granville, and claims to be a United States citizen. We found several interesting documents relating to the illegal lottery scam at his house," Brown added.

Of the 10 detainees, two persons deemed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time were processed and released by investigators.

During the sting operation, 25 computers, $500,000, a Ford F150 truck, a powerful motorcycle and 300 bootleg digital video discs were seized.

Areas raided

Police reports are that at about 4:00 a.m. yesterday, the lawmen comprising personnel from Mobile Reserve, the Fraud Squad, Organised Crime, Financial Investigation Unit and the Jamaica Defence Force, raided areas in Bogue Village, Granville, Fairfield, Porto Bello, Westgate Hills and Cornwall Courts in St. James.

"There is a young lady by the name of Zuwena Haughton, also called Kaylea McKay, who was found at one of the premises at Porto Bello," Brown said.

"She has a forged driver's licence which, based on our investigation, is a form of identification she uses when she is going to collect money from the various collecting agencies in Jamaica."