Roberts, who was assigned to the Mandeville Police Station in Manchester, was convicted along with cronies Robert Hurd and Richard Ewart, after they were arrested and charged in 2005 by members of the Flying Squad, led by Deputy Superintendent Cornwall ‘Bigga’ Ford. Hurd and Ewart were each sentenced to ten years in prison.

Government prosecutors had led evidence that between May and October 2005, Constable Roberts led his cronies on a series of armed robberies against Jamaicans who were returning from overseas to resettle in Jamaica. They reportedly stole millions of dollars worth of goods from the returning residents in St. Thomas, Manchester, Clarendon and St. Elizabeth, by trailing them from the Norman Manley International Airport and robbing them at gunpoint at their gates. More than 30 witnesses, most of them returning residents, gave testimony at the lengthy trial.

Roberts, Hurd and Ewart were arrested near the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston after the car in which they were travelling was intercepted on the Palisadoes Road in October 2005. The car was searched and two firearms, a Glock nine millimetre and a .38 revolver; as well as stolen articles and foreign currencies were found. The houses of the men were also searched and several items including suitcases found. A large quantity of ammunition was also seized at Constable Roberts’ house.

Head of the Police Flying Squad, popular crime-fighter Cornwall "Bigga" Ford, is among 38 Deputy Superintendents who have been promoted to the rank of Superintendent. Other noted officers who have been promoted to the rank of Superintendent include the crime chief for the St. Andrew Central Police Division – McArthur Sutherland, Errol "Chipper" Grant of MIT, Michael Ellis of the East Kingston Police Division, Leslie Ashman of the West Kingston Division, Colin Pinnock of Area Four and crime chief for Montego Bay, Clinton Laing.

Crime chiefs for St. Catherine South Police Division and St. Andrew North Division Inspectors Karl Malcolm and Altemorth "Paro" Campbell, have both been promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent. Also promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent are veteran crime fighter Detective Inspector Donovan "Hux" O’Connor, Gladys Brown-Campbell (who was attacked and stabbed several times by a man who robbed her in downtown Kingston approximately five years ago; she is also an attorney-at-law) and Stephen Moodie (General Secretary of the Police Federation). Head of the Police Federation, Corporal Raymond Wilson, has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

In all, thirty-eight Deputy Superintendents have been promoted to the rank of Superintendent. Eight Assistant Superintendents have been promoted to Deputy Superintendent. Eighty-two Inspectors have been promoted to Deputy Superintendent. Notably, in what is seen as an unprecendented climb, a Sergeant has been promoted to the the rank of Deputy Superintendent. He is William A. Kesler (one of only two specially trained forensic polygraphers in the island’s security forces … the other is a member of the Jamaica Defence Force).

The promotions were officially announced in the Force Orders yesterday.

Over the next two weeks, the Flying Squad will be carrying out a series of operations in the Corporate Area to track down persons who’ve been accused of a number of kidnappings and rapes in Kingston.

In recent television interviews, Ford has warned perpetrators that he and his team are coming after them, wherever they may be hiding.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the police high command are urging Jamaican citizens to remain calm and not panic, especially given that several alleged abductions have turned out to be false alarms. Jamaica’s actual number of abductions for 2008 are actually lower now than for the same period (up to the end of October) in 2007 – 57 for 2008 so far, compared to 125 for the same period in 2007.