Member of Parliament for South Manchester Michael Peart—
MANCHESTER, Jamaica —
The Manchester police are confirming that a major operation is now taking place in the Providence/Newport area of south Manchester in search of possible illegal arrivals from Haiti.
Deputy Superintendent Melvin Kerr told OBSERVER ONLINE that the police operation was in response to reports that strangers had been seen walking “with bags” in the area.
Kerr stressed that there had been no confirmation by the police.
“We are responding to reports that persons have been seen with bags in the area. Nothing is confirmed… nobody has been seen by the police,” Kerr said.
The reports follow word that a boat believed to have been carrying Haitians arrived in Alligator Pond, South Manchester late Tuesday. The police subsequently reported that they had seized the boat.
However, Member of Parliament for South Manchester Michael Peart told OBSERVER ONLINE Thursday morning he was very concerned by reports from locals that the boat was seen leaving Alligator Pond Wednesday morning “on its own steam”.
Peart said the residents insisted that the boat left without being detained by the police.
The MP said residents reported seeing men arrive on the beach with “buckets”. Peart told the Observer that there was also a report of an “attempted rape” as one or more of the new arrivals accosted a woman who managed to escape.
“I am very, very concerned,” Peart said.
There are fears that the illegal arrivals may include prisoners who broke out of jail in Haiti recently.
—By Garfield Myers
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