Five alleged contract killers cut down by cops

JACK'S HILL, St. Andrew, Jamaica- The police have reported that a planned contract killing was thwarted on Monday following a blazing gun battle that left five men dead and the suspected gang leader on the run.

According to the police, acting on intelligence a team from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) travelled to premises in the upscale St Andrew community of Jack’s Hill about 12:40 pm.

The police say the members of the C-TOC team came under heavy gunfire when they arrived at the premises. The police returned the fire and, according to people in the area at the time, a running gun battle ensued.

“When the shootings subsided, five men were seen with gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead,” the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said in a late evening media release.

According to the JCF, four firearms — a shotgun, an M16 rifle, a Glock pistol, and a Taurus pistol — were seized following the firefight.