Police in St Elizabeth are urging people to be vigilant when interacting with individuals who buy or sell US dollars, following an incident in the parish that left the complainants holding a bag of US$1 notes instead of a more substantial sum.
A businessman from New Harbour Village in Old Harbour, St Catherine, is now in police custody in connection with the incident and another person is being sought.
The businessman is 36-year-old Dwight Johnson, also known as ‘Links’ or ‘Foodie’. The police said he has been charged with the offence of larceny by trick.
According to reports, on February 22, the complainants accompanied Johnson and another individual to a bank for the purpose of purchasing US currency equivalent of J$1,960,000.
During the transaction, one of the individuals reportedly substituted the intended bag of currency with another bag containing only US$1 notes, absconding with the substantial sum.
The police said investigations led to the identification of Johnson as a suspect. He was arrested in Clarendon and charged.
Acting Superintendent of Police Coleridge Minto, while acknowledging that one suspect remains at large, is urging the public to exercise vigilance against individuals involved in the sale or purchase of US currency outside of authorised financial institutions.
Minto stressed the importance of conducting such transactions through legitimate channels.
“Notably, this scam is not new, but has resurfaced. This incident marks the third reported occurrence since the beginning of the year,” he said.
