GRENADA - The most discussed topic last week throughout the tri-island state has been the report of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) with respect to their investigations into the operation of an escort service in the country – The Spice Isle Escort Service – which promised attractive payments to persons who wanted to join up. One of the first persons to raise concerns about the advertisement of the escort service in the country is Senator Devon Rachae, who raised the issue in one of his presentations on the floor of the Senate sometime ago and suggested that the matter be investigated. ******** What has the investigation reveal? Police investigation revealed that sometime towards the end of September and the beginning of October, 2009, a young lady - who appeared to be pregnant - walked into one of the local media houses with a written text for advertising the escort service. On both occasions, she paid the standard fee for placing the advertisement in the newspaper. Sometime after this, a website was launched advertising the escort service and requesting that persons in different parts of the country sign up. It is not known how many young Grenadians would have signed up to be a part of this service, but it is believed that there some persons who, probable being deceived by the name and not knowing what the service entailed, would have signed up. A deep probe into the operation of the service by local police and prison officials revealed that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company was a twenty-five year old convict, Jason Phillip aka ‘Jexie Gibbs’ from Grand Anse, St. George’s, who is presently serving a prison sentence at Her Majesty’s Prisons located at Richmond Hill. He, apparently, was the mastermind behind the company and operated through middlemen on the outside. Jason is believed to have been using a cell-phone from behind prison bars to contact clients and used a ‘fake accent’ to communicate with unsuspecting persons. ******** Who is Jason Phillip? According to the police high command, Jason Philip aka Jexie Gibbs, is the de facto leader of the infamous ‘Bloods Gang’ and is from Grand Anse in St. George’s. He is said to have a long criminal record and is at present serving a prison sentence. Police sources reveal that sometime last year, he was arrested and charged for possession of counterfeit money and causing grievous harm. On November 26, 2008, Jason is said to have received a suspended three-year sentence from the Supreme Court of Grenada for dangerous harm and ordered to pay compensation in the sum of EC$91, 110.00, with the sum of EC$20, 000.00 to be paid on or before January 30, 2009 and the balance to be paid in a specified period thereafter. It was also reported by the Vincentian Criminal Investigation Department that Jason was caught in St. Vincent sometime ago and his sole reason for being in the island was to act as a ‘hit-man’ to execute one Jamal Finch, a Vincentian National. It is widely speculated that his trip to St. Vincent may have been as a result of him wanting to get money to meet his court fines and other ‘commitments’. ******** What were his plans? According to information released by Commissioner Clarkson at last week’s press conference, Phillip had some grandiose plans for conducting an organized crime business in Grenada. Documents in the possession of the lawmen seem to provide some insight into the activities of the organization that Phillip was intent on setting up inside Grenada. Among other things, it involved a uniform for his group, which consisted of the colors black, green, brown and white. ‘Weed’ was to be sourced from the neighboring island of St. Vincent and used to obtain guns, ammunition and to engage in other illegal transactions. His team was then expected to ‘link-up’ with the criminal elements (Spanish speaking and Trinidadian), bring in ‘prostitutes’ from Trinidad, and invest in ‘ganja’, pornography and prostitution. His plans entailed the stealing of vehicles for ‘missions’ , daylight robberies and high speed police chases throughout the streets and shoot-outs with the police. Clients who refused to pay after going with his girls were to be murdered as well as dealers who refused to pay on time. His girls were to sell themselves and set-up clients to be robbed, killed or smuggled. There were also to have kidnappings of the families of rich people, government officials, judges, policemen and lawyers for ransom. All was needed, in his opinion, is a gang of willing criminals. ******** Public reaction The Grenadian population seems to be breathing a sigh of relief now that this information is in the open and they have heaped praises on the RGPF and others who would have assisted thus far in this investigation. The lawmen have vowed to continue in a relentless manner to grind this organized crime ring into the dust. There has been widespread coverage of this matter by the local media but many persons are of the view that some of the non-governmental organizations and members of Civil Society Organizations have not been as vocal enough on this issue as they have been in other issues in the past. ******** Writer’s opinion It would seem as if the young criminal mastermind had already commenced work on building his criminal organization, getting as far as the advertisement of his escort service on newspaper and the internet. It is alleged that Phillip had written in his diary: Pick up my girls, snap photos of them and set up a website to advertise them. The train, it seems, has already been in motion. One, therefore, cannot just dismiss the information (allegedly obtained from him) by local lawmen as a ‘hoax’ and the writings of a lonely man, trying to pass his time in prison. This writer firmly believes that it is time for Grenadians to wake up and stop being so complacent about everything. It is time to take responsibility for what is going on in our country, speak out against it if it is not in our best interest or that of the country and agitate for action and change when necessary. Whenever the moral fabric of our society is so deeply threatened, it is the duty of every citizen, to rise to the occasion and fight to preserve the high ideals and Christian principles upon which this country has been built. If we fail to be proactive and vigilant and continue to sit by in a nonchalant way while the walls of morality crumble around us, we will live to regret our actions (or lack thereof) tomorrow and history will never be kind to us for our ineptitude and laziness. Remember, the future of this country is in our hands!