MOCA and ACB merged

National Security Minister Peter Bunting announced on Monday morning that the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force (MOCA) will merge into a single agency.

The new entity will be called the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), retaining the MOCA acronym. It will be headed by Colonel D. T. Edwards of the JDF, who is being seconded for what the Minister has described as "a transitional period to oversee and coordinate the merger."

This, according to the Minister, is the next phase in the on-going strategy to tackle serious organised crime and stamp out corruption.

According to Mr. Bunting, merger is based on the outstanding working relationships that have been forged between the two organisations that have fostered an atmosphere of confidence, trust and mutual respect.

“I expect this measure to result in greater effectiveness through better use of limited resources in the fight against criminals and corruption. The new agency will give us greater reach and increase our capacity to carry out investigations on people of interest,” Mr. Bunting said.

The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, will target the kingpins of the criminal networks, the Minister said. He added that the focus of the new agency has been expanded to include the facilitators of crime, including corrupt police officers, lawyers, bankers and family members who knowingly accommodate or provide support to criminals and corrupt officials.

To assist in this, the 1-800-CORRUPT confidential number has become the MOCA hotline to report organised crime and corruption.

Colonel Edwards

Colonel Desmond Theodore Edwards is Colonel General Staff and is responsible for Force policy on operations, training, intelligence, communications, information systems, civil/military relations and publications.

Colonel Edwards, a graduate of Clarendon College, joined the Jamaica Defence Force in October 1984 and was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant in June 1986, after completing his initial officer training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehra-Dun India.