MOCA searching homes of senior cop, ex-soldier
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Analysis
This is a substantive news article about an active MOCA investigation into corruption involving senior police officers and ex-soldiers, including alleged cocaine seizure irregularities and potential misreporting by law enforcement. It involves government accountability through an official anti-corruption agency investigation.
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The St Catherine homes of a senior cop and a former high-ranking soldier are now being searched in separate operations being conducted by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA).
The operations are linked to a high-level investigation into the seizure of a quantity of cocaine at the since-disbanded police Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime (C-TOC) division, sources have disclosed.
Director of Communications at MOCA Major Basil Jarrett confirmed that the agency is currently conducting operations at two locations in St Catherine.
He said the operations are connected to an on-going narcotics investigation, but refused to give further details.
Jarrett said an update will be provided to the public shortly.
The homes and other premises linked to two other high-ranking police officers previously assigned to C-TOC were also searched by MOCA agents in August.
The Gleanerreported in August that nearly a dozen high-ranking policemen and ex-soldiers are the targets of a widening narcotics investigation linked to the seizure of cocaine from a storage facility at C-TOC in January.
C-TOC has since been disbanded by Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake.
The investigation has been expanded to determine whether law-enforcement personnel significantly under-reported the quantity of cocaine that was seized during an operation in western Jamaica in August last year,The Gleanerreported, citing sources.
A public statement released by the police in January confirmed that two “illegal” parcels of cocaine were found inside the C-TOC storage facility, citing the findings of an internal audit.
The audit was triggered by the arrest of Police Inspector Martin Walker, 51, who was assigned to C-TOC at the time, according to the statement.
It alleged that a plastic bag containing cocaine with an estimated street value of $3.5 million was found during a search of Walker’s private vehicle after he was intercepted at a business place in Kingston on January 8.
He was later charged with possession of, dealing in and trafficking cocaine as well as conspiracy.
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