A St Catherine family is accusing the police of unfair treatment following a raid and the detention of nine persons in an operation in Sydenham, in the parish this morning.

The police have denied the claim.

Deputy Superintendent in charge of special operations at the St Catherine North Police division Linroy Edwards said the early morning raid at the house was based on intelligence that gave the police reasonable suspicion that gang activities were being conducted at the premises.

Edwards said a high-profile target was picked up in the operation and that all the men are being processed.

However, a family member who said she witnessed four siblings being detained in the raid denied that her brothers are involved in any gang activities.

According to the sister, her brothers have been the subject of more than 20 such raids in the past with nothing illegal being tied to them.

She claimed that her brothers are musicians who are also involved in livestock farming.

“Gang, that’s a funny word. Why when we asked them the reason for the raid, they can’t give us that information,” the woman claimed.

She continued: “They keep coming here over and over and they can’t give us a reason, we live in this community, we can’t have friends, ah dat mi want to ask.”

According to her, the men were at the house to assist with the construction of a wall.

– Ruddy Mathison

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