FID secures forfeiture of $2 million in cash and foreign currency

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Financial Investigations Division (FID) has secured cash forfeiture orders in two parish court matters totalling more than $2 million, along with foreign currency.

The FID, in its capacity as Jamaica’s Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), said the orders were handed down by the St Ann’s Bay Parish Court on June 24 and the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court Civil Division on June 23.

According to the FID, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the St Ann’s Bay Parish Court ordered the forfeiture of cash in the matter of ARA v. Demoy Campbell and Joshua Campbell.

In the St Ann’s Bay matter, the court ordered the forfeiture of J$1,211,700, CAD$1,800 and US$5 linked to Demoy Campbell, and J$635,000 linked to Joshua Campbell, along with legal costs, pursuant to Section 79 of POCA.

The case stemmed from a July 2024 police operation in St Ann during which members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s St Ann’s Bay Proactive Investigation Unit reportedly found J$635,000 in a bag in Joshua Campbell’s possession.

According to the FID, the men gave conflicting accounts of the source of the money. Subsequent enquiries led investigators to a residence in Discovery Bay, where additional Jamaican, Canadian and United States currency was discovered.

The agency said investigators later applied for forfeiture after the men were unable to provide satisfactory proof of the lawful source of the funds.

In a separate matter, the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court Civil Division ordered the forfeiture of J$251,500, together with accrued interest, in the case of ARA v Peter Manning Jnr.

The FID said the cash was seized following an April 2024 intelligence-led operation by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division along Spanish Town Road in Kingston.

Lawmen reportedly found the money inside a bag during a search of a motor vehicle. Although no contraband was recovered, Manning was unable to account for the funds at the time, the FID said.

The agency said Manning later provided a sworn statement indicating that the money was intended for the purchase of marijuana. That disclosure led investigators to search his residence, where marijuana was reportedly found concealed in various locations.

The cash was subsequently seized under POCA, and Manning later consented to its treatment as proceeds of criminal activity, resulting in the forfeiture order.

Commenting on the rulings, Keith Darien, principal director of Financial Crimes Investigations at the FID, said the rulings underscore the value of sustained investigative work and Jamaica’s asset recovery framework.

“These outcomes demonstrate the value of careful financial investigation and strong collaboration among law enforcement partners,” Darien said. “As the designated Assets Recovery Agency under POCA, the FID remains committed to ensuring that funds connected to unlawful conduct can be pursued lawfully through the courts. Asset recovery is an important part of protecting the public interest and reinforcing the principle that crime must not pay.”

The FID reiterated that forfeiture is a court-supervised process and that property seized during investigations is not automatically forfeited. It said forfeiture orders are only granted where the court is satisfied, based on the evidence and the applicable legal standard, that the property is connected to or intended for use in unlawful conduct.