A large-scale police operation targeting crime and illegal activity in key sections of the tourism resort town of Ocho Rios in the northern parish of St. Ann resulted in 20 people being taken into custody on Friday, including five foreign nationals held for suspected immigration breaches.
The cordon-and-search exercise was conducted between 3:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (local time) in nearby communities , during which police searched 19 premises.
According to the police, the five foreign nationals detained include two citizens of Dominica, two from Haiti and one from Nigeria, all of whom were arrested for alleged immigration violations.
The remaining 15 men were apprehended in connection with various criminal activities linked to the targeted communities.
The operation was spearheaded by the St. Ann Police Division, with support from approximately 80 personnel drawn from the Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Canine Units and Specialized Operations.
Head of the St. Ann Police, Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, said the exercise was designed to apprehend wanted persons, recover illegal firearms, seize drugs, conduct vehicle checkpoints, locate undocumented immigrants, carry out snap raids on commercial establishments and enhance the overall security presence in the area.
According to the police, the operation met its objectives, yielding a strong security presence and valuable intelligence to support future law enforcement efforts.
Authorities added that the communities will remain under close monitoring, with increased patrols and follow-up operations planned based on the information gathered.