Alleged St James gang leader ‘Toots’ remanded on ammunition charge

Alleged St James gang leader Shamarah Forrester, otherwise called ‘Toots’, who the police believe is the head of a robbery syndicate, has been remanded for return to the Western Regional Gun Court on November 13.

Forrester, who is charged with unauthorized possession of ammunition, made her first court appearance on Monday.

Five men who were held alongside Forrester are expected to face the court on October 21.

They are charged with robbery with aggravation and unauthorized possession of ammunition.

The St James police are alleging that Forester, a 33-year-old resident of Rose Heights, Montego Bay, is a key figure in a syndicate linked to multiple armed robberies and the illegal trafficking of ammunition in the parish.

Forrester and her co-accused were intercepted on the night of Sunday, October 5, during a targeted police operation at Dome Street in St James following two robberies in the township.

They were apprehended under the St James Police Division’s ongoing crime-fighting initiative Operation End Game.

At the time, Superintendent Linroy Edwards, head of operations in the St James Police Division, indicated that the Toyota Axio vehicle used in the crimes was recovered, along with several rounds of ammunition, ski masks, and a number of cell phones suspected to have been stolen.

Speaking with The Gleaner since the court appearance, Edwards said the police are committed to dismantling criminal networks.

“The St James police, along with our supporting formations and counterparts from the Jamaica Defence Force, will continue our relentless operations against criminal networks,” he stated.

- Albert Ferguson

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