Watkis disagrees with suggestion to prevent entry to nationals from some countries

Head of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch, Assistant Commissioner Devon Watkis, has disagreed with a suggestion that a policy be developed to prevent persons from particular countries  entering Jamaica.

The suggestion has come in light of the recent attacks in Russia and Paris for which the Islamist State terrorist group claimed responsibility.

Watkis said to single out individuals would be counter productive as Jamaicans also travel to other countries.

“To single out individuals by country may not be so good.  But those individuals in countries that have challenges of terrorism, drug trafficking etc, we are to identify them with our collaborative arrangements and to isolate them and where they have committed crimes, to implement the law,” Watkis said.

The concern came close to home last week, when five Syrians were detained by Honduran authorities for travelling on false Greek passports.

They were later found to be students attempting to get the United States.