Major fraud ring busted in Clarendon

Horace Fisher, Gleaner Writer

The Clarendon police today busted the operations of a major fraud ring operating in the parish, seizing several fraudulent documents, financial instruments and equipment used to commit financial crimes.

One man was arrested in connection with the find at a house in the Glenmuir Housing Scheme in the parish capital, May Pen.

Among the fraudulent documents and instruments seized were forged cheques, debit and credit cards, fraudulent insurance certificates, license disks, Digicel SIM Card contracts and computers, printers and stamps used to forge documents and to produce fraudulent financial instruments.

The seizure follows an increasing number of complaints from businesses in the parish, which says they have been receiving numerous fraudulent cheques.

The police say the fraudsters prepared cheques for withdrawal on the accounts of established and prominent businesses, organisations and personalities, including the British, Canadian and United States governments.

The criminals also had in their possession several credit and debit cards bearing the names and logos of well-known financial institutions including, Scotiabank, National Commercial Bank and the Jamaica National Building Society.

The lawmen believe the fraud ring may have originated outside the parish and that the criminals may have migrated to Clarendon to escape law enforcement in other areas. However, the cops believe they could be operating in the parish from 2007.