Police hunting 'Toots' as St James robbery crackdown intensifies
Published:Saturday | October 4, 2025 | 12:06 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The St James police, who are on a drive to dismantle the criminal gang behind a spate of robberies in the parish, have identified a woman known only as ‘Toots’ as the mastermind behind the illicit scheme.
The gangsters are being targeted by the police under an initiative dubbed ‘Operation End Game’, which was unveiled during press briefing on Thursday. It was hosted by Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, the police commander for St James.
According to Samuels, the police are focused on dismantling the robbery syndicate before the start of the upcoming Christmas holiday season.
“We’re going full throttle,” explained Samuels, in outlining the bold objective of the initiative while underscoring the need for residents and commercial operators to do business without fear of being targeted by members of the criminal gang.
Chinese-owned businesses
The police are claiming that ‘Toots’ and her marauding gangsters have been targeting commercial establishments, especially Chinese-owned businesses. Despite the arrest of some members of the gang, which has resulted in the seizure of illegal firearms, the police say the gang remains active in neighbouring parishes.
“The Chinese business community is finally breathing easier,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Michael Moore, who heads the crime portfolio in St James, as he outlined the success the police have been enjoying against the gangsters.
Superintendent Lynroy Edwards, who oversees operations in the parish, described Operation End Game as the culmination of previous operation, notably Storm One and Storm Two, which were initially used to curb gang violence in Montego Bay.
Going forward, Edwards is promising a more aggressive and resource-rich approach, which will entail using a combination of old and new tactics, along with support from the Jamaica Defence Force.
“This isn’t just about arrests. It’s about reclaiming our communities, ensuring students can study, families can gather, and tourism can thrive without the shadow of violence,” he said.
The initiative will also be used to tackle lesser-known crimes such as the scourge of praedial larceny through strategic partnerships formed to address agricultural theft.
The latest crackdown by the police comes amid a dramatic drop in violent crime in St James. Between January and late September 2025, St James recorded 43 murders, a steep decline from the 102 recorded over the similar period in 2024. Shootings have also plummeted by over 50 per cent.
“We’re not just chasing numbers, we’re building a safer and more resilient St James,” said Samuels, in putting the ultimate goal of Operation End Game in context.