News about reggae music, artists, culture and more...
The Jamaican police say they have finally caught up with suspected drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke on the outskirts of Kingston according to the BBC.
Apparently Jamaican Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said in a statement that Mr Coke had been arrested by policemen "acting on intelligence" at 1600 (2100 GMT) on Tuesday at vehicle checkpoint along the Mandela Highway.
It is reported that Mr Coke was then taken to a nearby police station, where crowds quickly gathered as news spread of his capture. As the crowd swelled and also to hopefully avoid a repeat of scenes witnessed last month in Tivoli Gardens as police searched for Coke, a military helicopter was deployed to move him to an undisclosed secure location.
When arrested he was in the company of Rev Miller, who reportedly facilitated the surrender of Mr Coke's brother Leighton earlier this month. Rev Miller is reported to have said that Mr Coke had been on his way to the US embassy to hand himself in because he did not trust the police not to harm him and that he wanted to waive his right to an extradition hearing so that he could go to the US for a trial. The Jamaican authorities however are stressing that he was taken to a secure facility because the police did not want people to take the law into their own hands and try to take him out and that they are taking every step possible to ensure his safety and well-being while he is in their custody.
Legal proceedings are in progress and once the issue of legal representation is reached and an agreement with the director of public prosecutions is met court hearings will be held as soon as a date can be set. It is at present uncertain whether Mr Coke will face charges in Jamaica in connection with the deaths of two policemen and a soldier during last months troubles.
© 2007-2024 United Reggae. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Read about copyright
Terms of use | About us | Contact us | Authors | Newsletter | A-Z
United Reggae is a free and independant magazine promoting reggae music and message since 2007. Support us!