The St Ann police have charged four people for conducting business with more than one million dollars in cash.Charged are: Devon Hayden, owner of Drax Hall Auto Brokers, St Ann, his secretary Andrene Green; customers of the business, Gary Jones of Runaway Bay and Norman Smith of Kildaire district, Buff Bay Portland.Police said they found cash receipts at the car mart and on the two customers showing they each paid over one million dollars in cash for separate car purchases.Jones paid over one million dollars in cash to purchase a 2009 Toyota Corolla and Smith did the same for his Toyota Axio .Police tracked Smith to Portland where they arrested him last week Sunday and charged him on Monday, January 11. That was after they had charged the other three.Under the amended Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), paying or receiving as payment cash of more than one million dollars is an offenceAll four have been charged in connection with the sale and purchase of motor cars in November last year.The investigations and arrests were carried out by the Proactive Investigative Unit (PIU), St Ann’s Bay headed by Sgt Kirk Nicholls. These are believed to be the first arrests under the Act outside of Westmoreland and Manchester.
According to police reports, Jones, an entertainment coordinator of Salem purchased a 2009 Toyota Axio
at Drax Hall Auto and paid over one million dollars in cash. The police carried out a search at the car mart and found invoice and receipts for the purchase. They arrested and charged Hayden, owner and manager and his secretary Green, with two counts each under the Act. Hayden and Green were granted bail in the sum of $500,000 each and Jones and Smith granted bail in the sum of $250,000 each.All four are to appear in the St Ann’s Bay RM Court on February 4.Police are reminding business people that it is an offence to accept cash payments of more than one million Jamaican dollars.
