By Lloyd Williams, Senior Associate Editor 
Members of the security force emptying a parcel with cocaine into the sea. - File
Following is the final in the four-part series in which Lloyd Williams looked at the operations of the controversial, disbanded Special Intelligence Group which was headed by Roderick "Jimmy" McGregor.
A TALE OF international drug trafficking involving Colombians, Jamaicans and Bahamians, and quadruple murder at sea from a helicopter, is related by Throatie in an interview the Special Intelligence Group conducted with him on June 27, 2000. He said he was recruited at a night club by Carlos and Ninety in Ontario, Canada in 1998 while he was on the farm work programme there. According to Throatie, Ninety "told me that my main functions would be to move the drugs (cocaine) around from storage points to ships and other places. This was after I told him that I could drive." He said that the week before he returned to Jamaica he gave them instructions how to find him here.
He said that on St. Valentine's Day, February 14, 1999 he was at a beach at Runaway Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica, when his cousin told him that a white man was asking for him.
Throatie: I know it was Carlos and I wanted to see him. About two minutes later he drove in. He came out of his vehicle which was a green F150 and greeted me ... He say he came to talk about what we had discussed in Canada and if I am still up for it.He said they had a talk on the beach and Carlos gave him $3,000 to buy drinks for himself and his friends.
He saw them the Saturday at a hotel in Hanover and Ninety asked him if he was ready to go to the Bahamas for him and he told Ninety yes.
Throatie: He told me that he and Carlos was going to Amsterdam and I should check them back on the 18th of April same place. He also gave me seven thousand Jamaican dollars.
He checked them back on April 18, Ninety again asked him if he was ready, he told him yes and Ninety gave him $5,000 US and told him to buy whatever he needed but to make sure he had $1,000 to show at the Bahamas airport. Also, Ninety gave him an envelope to take to a travel agency in Kingston. The Monday morning he left his home in St. Ann, drove to Kingston and gave the money to the woman at the travel agency. She told him to return on the following Monday, the first in May 1999, and take his bags as he would not be returning home.
On his return she told him he would not be travelling before the Friday and she took him in a cab to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Constant Spring , St. Andrew, where she got a room for him and told him to eat and drink until the Friday as everything was taken care of.
The Friday she came for him in a taxi, gave him an envelope with his plane ticket and the taxi took him to the airport.
In the Bahamas
He boarded an Air Jamaica flight to Nassau, Bahamas and at the airport there he gave a piece of paper with the name of his hotel to an immigration officer who pointed to two men he said were police, saying they would take him where he wanted to go.
They took him to a hotel where a man asked him if he was one of Carlos's or Ninety's soldiers and "I told him he would have to call it so." Throatie said that later that night a man who identified himself as a police corporal came for him at the hotel in a black BMW and took him to Atlantic hotel and casino on Paradise Island where he saw Carlos and Ninety. Ninety introduced him to a Caribbean island consul, a Caribbean island ambassador and some serving policemen from Strikeforce and retired policemen.
Throatie: Ninety told me they were recruiting me based on the fact that the Bahamians are joking cause they only wanted money for weekend to get drunk and Jamaicans are more serious and won't back down. When they left the Atlantic they took him to another hotel where he checked in.
The following afternoon Ninety and his bodyguard came for him gave him the keys to a red Ford car and told him to follow them in their pick-up. They went to Radisson to Ninety's penthouse where Ninety and Carlos were staying.
Throatie: I saw all the persons that I was introduced to before at the Atlantic. Carlos told me in the (their) presence and hearing that this was my big test.
Passing the test
Q: What was the test?
Throatie: He told me that a big shipment was coming in from Jamaica on Saturday night over by Eleuthera, so I was going over there Saturday night and come back Sunday morning. ...(Ninety's bodyguard) and a Colombian was going to accompany me to the pier in Eleuthera to pick up the drug and come back early Sunday morning.
Q: Did he tell what type of drugs it was?
Throatie: : Yes, he said big shipment of cocaine.
Q: What happened that Saturday?
A: In the night about 7 p.m. I, -- (Ninety's bodyguard) and the Colombian left the pier downtown Bahamas, Nassau on a white twin-engine speed boat for Eluthera. When we reached, the boat from Jamaica came already. I, -- (Ninety's bodyguard) and the three crew members of the boat from Jamaica unload the large packages of cocaine on (to) our boat.
Q: Could you say if the crew members of the boat from Jamaica were Jamaicans?
A: Yes, they were.
Q: How did you know this?
A: They told me they came from Manchioneal, Portland and spoke with Jamaican accent.
Q: How did you know that the package contain cocaine?
A: The Colombian took a package, burst one open and test it and confirm that it is cocaine. Asked that we take care of the boss thing as it was multi-million US dollar things.
Q: After the boat was unloaded what happen?
A: The boat from Jamaica was refuelled and they left for Jamaica. We took our boat down shore to the mangrove and pulled the boat almost out of the water where we waited until 6.30 p.m. the Sunday evening to go to Nassau.
Q: Did you eventually reach Eleuthera?
A: Yes, we left and at a point in the journey they stopped as they said they did not want to reach Nassau till 3.30 a.m. Monday morning. Eventually we arrived at minutes to 3 a.m.; on arrival at the pier downtown Nassau, I saw a marked police car with --(two named policemen) and a policewoman (named)--. (A policeman) showed us a black Toyota pick-up and the red F150 parked close by. I assisted in unloading the packages of cocaine in both vehicles and follow (the policeman) in the police car as he had instructed...
"We drove up to a house and I saw the same man that was introduced to me as the -- Ambassador came out and said this is where we should leave the stuff. I assisted in unloading the packages of cocaine into a back room of the house and I drove the black pick-up to my hotel and went to bed.
Q: Were you contacted by Ninety or Carlos?
A: Yes, Ninety called me and told me everything went as planned.
High-ranking diplomat
Q: Did you ever visit the Ambassador's house in relation to the cocaine you left there?
A: Yes, I return the following Wednesday on Ninety's instructions. I went there in the morning, retrieve fifteen of the bags, took them to the port or wharf where the boat comes to carry goods to the Sister Island. I drove the red F150 to the end of the wharf where a man came off the biggest boat and took the bags and place them on the boat. And I drove away, and return to my hotel and Ninety came later the evening and retrieve the van.
Q: Did you ever go back to the ambassador residence?
A: Yes, for a party for a high-ranking foreign diplomat who was going back home.
Q: What else happen in the Bahamas?
A: I was there for three weeks and nothing happened. But on the 29th of June 1999 Carlos called me by telephone and told me he wanted to discuss something with me later in the evening. As a result of the call Carlos came to the hotel and spoke to me.
Q: What did he say to you?
A: He said that he wanted me to go back to Eleuthera two days from when he spoke to me. But this time there will be a boat from Jamaica with four Colombians and a guy named Gary from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Gary must be allowed to come off the boat but the Colombians must not come off. He said that he was planning something with Strikeforce, namely-- who will come with a helicopter and deal with it from there.
"I understood this to mean that he had intended on killing them because he said that he just found out that they were robbing him from long time and they have robbed over five million dollars US. He then gave me a brand new Intratec 9mm sub-machine gun with (which) him load with rounds. He told me that this was for my protection and I was not to worry.
Q: What happen in details that day when you were to go to Eleuthera?
A: On the July 2nd -- (Ninety's bodyguard) came to me and said come we a go leave for Eleuthera. ... (A named policeman) transport me to the pier where the boat was. I was in possession of the firearm and -- (the policeman) knew this. At the pier I saw (Ninety's bodyguard) and the Colombians on the same twin-engine speedboat to Eleuthera. We had the phone with the radio pole on it.; whilst en route ... (Ninety's bodyguard made a call to the other boat telling them that he would meet them in open waters. We proceeded to meet them at the point where they had agreed on.
"When we met the other boat the drugs was unloaded to our boat and Gary came on to our boat and I got the distinct impression that he knew what was about to happen. After this they were there talking and making jokes among themselves when the helicopter came on the scene. It shone the bright light on us and it started coming in lower and when (it) almost reach us it stand still.
"I saw two men on the metal where it would normally land on and I recognised them to be -- and -- (two named policemen from Strikeforce.) They had rifles;... (One of the policemen) asked us if we took the stuff off already and -- (Ninety's bodyguard) said yes and both started firing on the other boat until about three minutes after they told -- (Ninety's bodyguard) to look if everybody was dead on the boat. He told them yes and they said he should do what he is suppose to do and the helicopter left.
"... (Ninety's bodyguard) came back on our boat, took four concrete blocks and return on the other boat. ...(He) then tie each of the block and three (threw) them overboard and they sank. He took the phone off the other boat, tie it (the boat) to ours and it was towed to shore at Eleuthera.
"On the shore at Eleuthera which was the same spot we were before, the other boat was pulled from the water by us and same was light and burned completely out. We then left for Nassau and we reached 9.30 a.m. the morning of the 3rd of July 1999. I was told that they were not going to unload the boat so it was left at the pier where I saw Ninety and he said we must go on home, someone will unload the boat. I return to the hotel.
Q: What happen after you re-turn to the hotel?
A: Ninety came and check me by the hotel and asked me if I was OK?
Q: Was the killings mentioned by him?
A: No.
Q: What happen next?
A: I told him that I was going back on farm work and I had to return to Jamaica by the 11th July 1999. He said OK, he is going to make sure I got some money. On the 8th July he carried $15,000 US and gave it to me along with a plane ticket. I left the Bahamas on the 10th or 11th July 1999.
NOTE: Dates have been changed for publication purposes.
