Police hit ‘Pops’ in sting operation

A local businessman believes that his friendship with a man currently facing extradition charges may have led to him being the target of a police sting operation which took place last weekend.{{more}}

Winston Morgan, also known as ‘Pops’, says he is considering taking legal action. He claims that about ten members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) invaded his home on Saturday morning, about one hour after he came home from work.

“Around six o’ clock, I was awakened by a loud banging on my door. When I opened the door, there was a man dressed in black on my fence wall, who rushed into the house.”

“There was one they call ‘AK’, who presented me with a warrant saying they looking for drugs and other documents.”

The 35-year-old taxi driver, who also owns a vehicle rental service, said that the commotion awoke his mother Jeanette and his sons: eight-year-old Adrian and Tyler, aged four.

Morgan said that the officers carried out a thorough search of his Upper Cane Hall home, taking his computer, his and his mother’s cell phones, and other business and personal documents.

“They take my passport, credit card statements, utility bills, car parts receipts… all kinds of things… and they say that I would get them back at the end of the week, if they don’t get anything.”

Morgan said that after the raid on his home, he was informed that a friend of his, Dexter Chance, and two other men had been arrested in similar stings that weekend.

A number of other raids were carried out across the country, and although no arrests were made, a number of items seized.

Chance, Gareth McDowall and Carlos Sutherland are currently in custody, while attempts are being made to have them extradited to Tortola, British Virgin Islands to face criminal charges.

“It seems like because you are a friend of his (Chance), this is what you will suffer,” Morgan commented.

“I can’t choose what my friends want to do… as long as they don’t bring it to me.”

Morgan refuted any speculation that he is a drug dealer and lamented the seizure of his computer and phones, which he said is hampering his business, on which he depends heavily.

He claims that he is awaiting advice from his legal counsel on how to proceed in the matter.

Morgan claims that the ordeal has left his sons and mother traumatized, and said he is upset with the manner in which the operation was carried out.

“If somebody is being investigated for a crime, does that give them the right to search his friends? This was a big surprise to me.”