JG - Trail of the missing sand: Spreading the spoils

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Trail of the missing sand: Spreading the spoils

published: Sunday November 30, 2008

POLICE PROBING the removal of some 500 truckloads of sand in late June from Coral Springs in Trelawny could make arrests this week, says Government's point man on the investigation, Daryl Vaz, state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Police personnel and politicians are among a team of robbers believed to have left their footprints on the shores of the property from which the sand was removed.

The five-month long, high-level police probe has not yet revealed the players in the carefully planned illegal activity, but Sunday Gleaner sources have suggested that the investigators should have already gathered sufficient information to begin criminal proceedings.

A source, on condition of anonymity, claims he participated in the theft and has given The Sunday Gleaner insight into what took place in Coral Springs under the supervision of cops and politicians."

"The Quarries Control Act, 1984, expressly states that sea sand is considered "quarry material", therefore, any person who removes sea sand from any place to be used for construction purposes can be considered to be operating a quarry for the purposes of the act.

A licence is required from the minister of mining in order to operate a quarry and unless the minister allows, no licence will be granted to any person to operate a quarry outside of a quarry zone."

&

"Any person who is convicted of this offence for the first time is liable to payment of a fine of up to $30,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or to both such fine and imprisonment."