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.

"Based on my recent updates from the police, I have been told that the investigation is 95 per cent complete and I know that is factual, but we need to make sure that when the police do act, they have all the evidence to make a successful prosecution," Vaz told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

footprints in the sand

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.

Despite threats and pleas from many persons involved in the theft, the conscience of the source has been like a tightening rope around his neck.

has to reveal dirty deed

He says he cannot keep the dirty deed to himself any longer, but he is not going to the police. He tells us how four hotels made preparation for the loot it would receive and how the stolen sand was spread to create gorgeous white-sand beaches to cater to lusting tourists.

"Di ting run deep - deep, deep. A nuff big man involve. Mi deh deh and see fi miself," the source said, as he began to tell the story of how lawmen supervised the illegal mining operation which devastated a section of the Trelawny shoreline that was earmarked for development.

Sand-mining law

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. Therefore, any person who wishes to excavate sea sand to be used for construction purposes must obtain a licence.

Any person who excavates sea sand to be used for construction purposes without obtaining a licence commits an offence and can be convicted in the Resident Magistrate's Court. 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.

Source: The Jamaica Environment Trust