Police Say He Was Held Monday
Police say they have in their custody the man behind the bomb threat in Ocho Rios, Sunday. Reports are that the man was held in St Catherine today, Monday, June 5.
Some reports said he was held and others said he surrendered to police.
In a brief release Monday afternoon, police said the man “believed to be at the center of yesterday’s bomb threat at a commercial complex in St Ann, is now in police custody.”
Late Sunday evening the police asked for the man who identified himself as issuing the threat to go to the nearest police station. The man said, in a social media post, that the threat was a “prank”.
(A fire unit mobilized, Sunday, as the fire services, police and soldiers responded to a reported threat in Ocho Rios)
“Making a bomb threat, even as a prank, is a serious matter, and it will be treated as such,” police said in a statement.
Police, soldiers, and the fire brigade responded to the threat that had identified a specific building in Ocho Rios. However, no bomb was found and the operation continued into the night.
A release from the police said: “The threat led to significant disruptions in commercial activities and placed undue stress on the citizens of our community.”
It said further: “We understand that a certain individual has claimed responsibility for this threat via the social media platform TikTok, presenting it as a ‘prank’.”
They asked for the individual to immediately present himself at the nearest police station.
The police through its release from the Constabulary Communications Unit (CCU) said they continue to take a firm stance against actions on social media that disturb public order and cause distress.
“These so-called pranks are not harmless – they have considerable implications on public order, economic activities, and social harmony. As evidenced by [Sunday’s] incident, they can disrupt lives, affect livelihoods, and incite unnecessary fear and confusion among the populace.,” the statement said.
