Three Portland men have been charged with Kidnapping, Robbery with Aggravation, Breaches of the Law Reform Act, and Breaches of the Cybercrime Act following an incident at Folly in the parish on Sunday, December 17.
Charged are:
- 24-year-old Sandre Phipps, otherwise called ‘Manta’, waiter of Land Settlement,
- 28-year-old taxi operator Davian Henry and
- 22-year-old Rolando Thomas, both of Sherwood Forest, all in Portland.
Reports from the Port Antonio police are that about 4:00 p.m., a man and a woman boarded a motor vehicle on route to Port Antonio Town Centre. Upon reaching Folly main road, the driver diverted and took them to a deserted area, where they were approached by three men armed with knives.
The men proceeded to rob the couple of their belongings, which include a Samsung Galaxy S22 valued at USD1,000 , an iPhone 14 cellular phone valued at USD 1,500, and a Go Pro camera valued at JMD 30,000. While being held captive, the man was also forced to contact his mother, who transferred USD 2026 to one of his abductors via Cash App.
After the ordeal, the couple was released, and they reported the matter to the police.
Following an investigation, the men were taken into custody, and charges were laid against them.
Their court dates are being finalised.