A number of persons have been arrested and taken into custody for further questioning following simultaneous searches at four locations in St Andrew, St Catherine and St Ann this morning.

The operations were undertaken by The Financial Investigation Division (FID), Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and the Constabulary Financial Unit of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division (CTOC).

A statement from MOCA says this morning’s joint operations were in furtherance of the agencies’ investigations into allegations of corruption, fraud and misappropriation of public funds involving the Ministry of  Education and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).   Several items were seized this morning including documents and electronic devices.

MOCA says the operations which commenced at 5 a.m targeted the main suspects implicated in a multimillion-dollar corruption and fraudulent schemes perpetrated at the Education Ministry, Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) and other government entities falling under the portfolio responsibility of former Education  Minister Ruel Reid. The statement says All locations are properly manned by police personnel and operations are proceeding in an orderly manner.