Two more men have been ordered to be detained under the State of Emergency powers at the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre for their alleged gang involvement.
The orders, signed by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, were issued in August and September respectively but only gazetted yesterday.
Christian “Heads” Joshua of Simon Trace, Carapo, was listed as a member of an organised crime group, while Diego “Alejandro” Fuentes, of Southern Main Road, St Helena, and Ross and Dass Trace, El Carmen, was listed as a member of the Resistance Gang.
Joshua’s order, issued in September, said he is part of an unnamed gang engaged in violent, pre-planned acts, larceny of motor vehicles, robbery with violence, trafficking of firearms and misbehaviour in public.
“He is part of a car theft network, where the stolen vehicles are used as tools to facilitate deadly gang violence. The group’s activities also demonstrate an intent to imminently escalate and facilitate gang violence. The detention of this individual is therefore necessary to disrupt the group’s operational planning and to prevent further acts of violence that pose a clear and present threat to public safety.”
Fuentes’ order was issued in August and said he is an enforcer and leads in violent and armed attacks.
“The detainee is a key figure in the execution of plans to imminently continue to extort members of the business community and to silence witnesses by means of violent physical assault, arson and public shootings at business places. The detainee’s preventive detention is considered necessary to disrupt these plans and prevent future acts of violence,” the detention order states.
It adds that the Resistance Gang is engaged in multiple acts of extortion and armed robberies, utilising firearms and violent physical attacks on members of the business community. It said the gang has access to cash, transport and a cache of firearms and is actively recruiting young males to aggressively expand its turf.
