Accused Jamaica gangster freed after police error

-Police Commissioner said livid at accused gangster’s release

(Jamaica Observer) Two days after the man police described as the brain behind one of the country’s most notorious gangs was captured, Nicholas ‘Fire Key’ Nesbeth was set free on Thursday in a big foul-up that has left the constabulary’s top brass stunned and embarrassed.

Police sources yesterday said that Nesbeth, a senior member of the Dog Paw gang, was allowed to walk free from the Mobile Reserve after a processing error.

According to our sources, Nesbeth was among a number of detainees being processed when he was mistakenly released.
The bungle, our sources said, has left Police Commissioner Owen Ellington livid. “Heads may possibly roll for this,” the source added.

On Thursday when contacted, Elan Powell, new head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, declined to speak, saying he had to make several checks before he could comment.

“I am not able to speak on that issue at this time,” Powell said, promising to do so later.
However, several calls to his phone hours later went unanswered.

Nesbeth was captured on Tuesday in the Sterling Castle/Kirkland Heights area of Red Hills, upper St Andrew, a day after Christopher ‘Dog Paw’ Linton was captured in the Elletson Flats community.

Linton, who police say is the leader of the Dog Paw gang, was held in a house in the company of two women.
Linton was named one of the country’s most dangerous criminals by police last November and was wanted in connection with several murders and shootings in the August Town community.

Police also brand him an extortionist and said he taunted them that they would have to speak to his AK-47 assault rifle before they could take him in.

However, in an exclusive interview with the Observer last month, Linton denied the AK-47 taunt and said he was no extortionist. He also denied taking part in any murder or shootings for which the police had named him as a person of interest.