Snow Crash
06-23-2010, 01:07 AM
Police in Jamaica say they have arrested suspected drugs lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke on the outskirts of the capital, Kingston.
Officials say he was detained at a roadblock accompanied by a Christian pastor, who said Mr Coke was going to the US embassy to hand himself in.
The Jamaican government wants to extradite Mr Coke to the US to face charges of drug and gun trafficking.
Attempts to capture him in May led to clashes in which scores of people died.
Mr Coke, 41, is accused of being the leader of the notorious Shower Posse, which US authorities say operates an international drugs and guns network.
The gang has also been blamed for numerous murders in Jamaica and the US.
Jamaican police commissioner Owen Ellington said in a statement that Mr Coke was arrested by policemen "acting on intelligence" who were manning a vehicle checkpoint along the Mandela Highway.
Mr Ellington said Mr Coke was being held in a secure facility and that "legal proceedings will commence immediately".
He said Jamaican police had been placed on a state of high alert and he appealed "to the families, friends and sympathisers of Christopher Coke to remain calm".
Mr Ellington added that police wanted to interview the Reverend Al Miller, who was with Mr Coke when he was arrested.
Stronghold
Mr Miller, an evangelical preacher, reportedly facilitated the surrender of Mr Coke's brother, Leighton "Livity" Coke, earlier this month.
"This afternoon.. I spoke with all my senior officers and I asked each individually if they were party to any discussion or agreement for the bypassing of the legal processes for Coke to be turned over to US Marshals," said Mr Ellington.
"Each officer responded in the negative. I would like to have Mr Miller in so we can have discussions with him and we would advise him to have his attorney accompany him."
Earlier, Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told the BBC's World Today programme that the pastor had indicated he was taking Mr Coke to the US embassy "to waive his rights, to be extradited".
The operation to capture Mr Coke last month centred on his stronghold in Kingston's Tivoli Gardens.
More than 70 people were killed in four days of gun battles between police and armed young men.
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/latin_america/10386028.stm)
Some of you remember the aptly named Mr Coke, whose crew, aided by locals, duked it out with the police in Kingston. It is interesting to me why he would not fight extradition. His trial in the US should prove interesting, should he be extradited.
Officials say he was detained at a roadblock accompanied by a Christian pastor, who said Mr Coke was going to the US embassy to hand himself in.
The Jamaican government wants to extradite Mr Coke to the US to face charges of drug and gun trafficking.
Attempts to capture him in May led to clashes in which scores of people died.
Mr Coke, 41, is accused of being the leader of the notorious Shower Posse, which US authorities say operates an international drugs and guns network.
The gang has also been blamed for numerous murders in Jamaica and the US.
Jamaican police commissioner Owen Ellington said in a statement that Mr Coke was arrested by policemen "acting on intelligence" who were manning a vehicle checkpoint along the Mandela Highway.
Mr Ellington said Mr Coke was being held in a secure facility and that "legal proceedings will commence immediately".
He said Jamaican police had been placed on a state of high alert and he appealed "to the families, friends and sympathisers of Christopher Coke to remain calm".
Mr Ellington added that police wanted to interview the Reverend Al Miller, who was with Mr Coke when he was arrested.
Stronghold
Mr Miller, an evangelical preacher, reportedly facilitated the surrender of Mr Coke's brother, Leighton "Livity" Coke, earlier this month.
"This afternoon.. I spoke with all my senior officers and I asked each individually if they were party to any discussion or agreement for the bypassing of the legal processes for Coke to be turned over to US Marshals," said Mr Ellington.
"Each officer responded in the negative. I would like to have Mr Miller in so we can have discussions with him and we would advise him to have his attorney accompany him."
Earlier, Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told the BBC's World Today programme that the pastor had indicated he was taking Mr Coke to the US embassy "to waive his rights, to be extradited".
The operation to capture Mr Coke last month centred on his stronghold in Kingston's Tivoli Gardens.
More than 70 people were killed in four days of gun battles between police and armed young men.
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/latin_america/10386028.stm)
Some of you remember the aptly named Mr Coke, whose crew, aided by locals, duked it out with the police in Kingston. It is interesting to me why he would not fight extradition. His trial in the US should prove interesting, should he be extradited.