Approximately five (5) houses were searched on Wednesday morning in a sting operation.
The intrusions were conducted by a variety of armed forces including the Arresting Team RST, KPS Detectives, Customs, and 0-Tolerance Team.
The intrusions were made in South Reward, Betty Estate, L.B. Scott Road and Mary’s Fancy.
The operation began after four (4) Wednesday morning. An intense investigation is now ongoing.
Meanwhile Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos stated on Wednesday morning that a large Scale Investigation code name “VESUVIUS” leads to 8 arrests.
Large Scale Investigation with the codename VESUVIUS, arrest-teams on Sint Maarten arrested a total of 8 persons.
The suspects O.J. (35), C.R. (29), E.L. (28), C.F. (36), E.M. (34), D.T. (25), A.D. (30) – all residing on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten – were arrested simultaneously on different locations.
On the French side, in collaboration with the Gendarmerie Nationale, one suspect K.M. (27) was arrested during these actions.
His house was subsequently searched. 6 of the 8 suspects are Sint Marteners, whereas one suspect is from St. Vincent and one from Jamaica. House searches were conducted on ten separate locations.
As a result of those searches several guns and other weapons were found, next to a considerable amount of drugs and money.
The house searches were conducted with the use of 5 specially trained dogs, 1 from Sint Maarten, 1 from Aruba and 3 from Curaçao.
This Large Scale Investigation (TGO) codename “VESUVIUS” is an investigation conducted under the authority of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Sint Maarten and is carried out by the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) in close cooperation with the nearly full capacity of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team (RST), assisted by members of RST from locations outside Sint Maarten.
Many other law enforcement organizations joined in this close cooperation such as the Police Force of Curaçao (KPC), the Police Force of Aruba (KPA), Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland (Bonaire), the Police Force of the Netherlands, the Customs Department of Curaçao, the Royal Marechaussee, the Gendarmerie Nationale and the Coastguard.
They all have provided and still are providing all necessary cooperation and assistance to this Large Scale Investigation. Until today more than 30 detectives have been working together in TGO Vesuvius and a total of 150 investigating officers took part in the actions of this morning.
During the past few months, the investigating team has conducted an in depth investigation and has identified the possible suspects and accomplices of at least five murders/liquidations and two attempted murders which took place between April and September of this year on Sint Maarten.
The investigation indicates that these murders took place within the criminal scene.
The suspects who have been arrested, were brought before the acting prosecutor and were all remanded in custody.
In the coming days the suspects will be questioned and further investigation will be conducted into the confiscated items.
The Public Prosecution Service considers it appropriate to use this opportunity to thank all the services mentioned above and those authorities who carry their responsibility in all the countries within the Kingdom, as well as the Gendarmerie Nationale, for the outstanding cooperation during the preparation and execution of today’s operations.
The assistance rendered and the assistance still to be come are highly appreciated.
Meanwhile SXMIslandtime.com has learnt that a separation procedure of the prisoners took place on Wednesday afternoon.
Some of detained eight were sent to the islands of Bonaire and Aruba. This information has not yet been confirmed.
