Police urge vigilance after UK visitor robbed of $500,000

With a 14.5 per cent spike in robberies this year, the police are urging the public to be more vigilant, especially when in possession of large sums of cash.

The appeal comes after a near doubling of reports of armed robbery in the Kingston Central Police Division, the latest of which occurred last Friday when a man visiting from the United Kingdom (UK) was held up and robbed of half a million dollars and his travel documents.

A relative of the victim told The Gleaner that the man had left the bank with the cash and stopped at a shop at the intersection of Rum Lane and Wildman Street in downtown Kingston, when he was robbed by men who had been posing as customers.

According to the relative, when the matter was reported to the Kingston Central Police Station, the cops said that they had been getting a lot of reports of cash stolen after persons leave a particular financial institution.

“When we go down there, the police said, ‘Again? Everybody coming here about that bank …’ ,” she said. “The bank gave him (relative) three weeks to come and pick up the money. When the three weeks come, he went for it and them rob him.”

The man was reportedly trailed by men travelling in a car after he left the financial institution.

When he made a stop at a shop, a man entered and reportedly ordered an orange juice then left.

“Same time now, mi see two come and say dem want two cold juice … . Then push the gun at his head and tek the $500,000 from him. Passport, everything gone,” the relative told The Gleaner.

The Kingston Central Police Division has recorded a 93 per cent year-on-year increase in robberies up to August 29. Since the start of the year, 29 robberies have been committed in the division, compared to 15 for the corresponding period in 2021, making it the division with the second highest percentage increase.

St Elizabeth, which has seen 44 robberies between January 1, 2022 and August 29, 2022, recorded a 238.5 per cent year-on-year jump.

The largest decline is in the St Mary Police Division, falling from 13 last year to six in 2022 – a 53.8 per cent plunge.

In terms of the number of incidents, the Manchester Police Division comes out on top with 76 cases, while Hanover came in at the other end with just two robberies.

A senior officer told our newsroom that the number of robberies could be much higher as sometimes they get wind of some incidents which were not officially reported by victims.

“Sometimes they are embarrassed to say how much was stolen and they think nothing will come of it. We have had recoveries and several arrests have been made and persons placed before the court,” the senior crime fighter told The Gleaner.

Crooks also made off with an undetermined sum of cash and travel documents after snatching a handbag from a parked vehicle in the Constant Spring area two weeks ago.

The Gleaner understands that the victim’s travel plans were delayed after her green card and passport were lost.

The matter was reported to the police and the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency. Some of the documents were later recovered after combing the area.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com

Tips from police on transporting cash

1. Money in transit is vulnerable. When possible, use a cash-transit company, particularly for large sums of money.

2. If you choose to transport cash on your own, consider the following to reduce the risk of falling prey to criminals:

• Assign more than one well-trained person to the task.

• Company uniforms should not be worn, but if they are, they should be covered by other clothing.

• Avoid using public transport.

3. If using private transport, keep the doors locked at all times.

4. Avoid quiet streets and vary the route and time of travel.

5. Do not advertise the fact that you are carrying cash.

6. Ensure the time of return is known so an alarm can be raised if necessary.

7. Be aware of drivers of vehicles or people behaving suspiciously.

8. Do not put yourself at risk. Hand the money over if you are confronted.