~ Victims, witnesses urged to report ~
PHILIPBURG--Police Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte says the Prosecutor's Office and the St. Maarten Police Force have reason to believe that the "gypsy taxi bandits" who have been detained are responsible for more violent crimes on the island than those to which they have already confessed.
Therefore, he called on anyone who has been the victim of a violent crime and has not yet filed a complaint at the police station to do so. Police are also calling on persons who may have information that may assist the investigation to share it. Individuals can call telephone numbers 542-2222 or 542-2721.
"It seems that the way the suspects operated was, while pretending to be a gypsy taxi, to pick up potential victims. If victims did not want to get in the car, they were sometimes forced to. They were ill-treated in the car and taken to a deserted place to be robbed and sometimes even worse, as we now know," De Witte noted.
He pointed out during a press conference on Monday that dealing with four fatal crimes in at least eight days was a situation the understaffed St. Maarten Police Force could not handle by itself.
As a result, the so-called "large-scale investigation team" TGO (Team Grootschalige Opsporing) was designed to assist in any of the six Dutch Caribbean islands when very serious crimes are committed. When there is insufficient manpower to deal with these types of investigation, the police force of each of the countries will assist to a certain level. This assistance includes the participation of the Royal Dutch Marechaussees and Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST.
"It is therefore that our gratitude extends to our own St. Maarten Police Force, both detectives and those in uniform, the Police Forces of Aruba, Bonaire, Cura�ao, RST, Royal Dutch Marechaussees and the French Gendarmes, with whom we have successfully cooperated from the very first moment. The same goes for the French Justice Department.
"We thank the Dutch forensic specialists who were flown in to support with the forensic investigation and who did a wonderful job together with our own forensic team. On top of that, we thank the Customs, Fire Department, Coast Guard and VKS [Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten, ed.] for contributing to the investigation.
"Special thanks go to the Dutch Marines who helped the police with crime scene investigation in the earlier stages of the investigation, shortly after the Regatta. Their contribution, which they so generously offered, certainly was of relevance to the investigation. Finally, we would like thank the two prosecutors and their staff who worked relentlessly in order to solve these fatal crime cases.
"Last, but not least, we thank the loyal people of St. Maarten for their patience and confidence. Case by case, police start to show that in strongly cooperating in fighting crime, this Police Force, together with its partners against crime, can overcome even the most serious crimes on this island," said De Witte.
Prosecutor Hans Mos added, "We cannot share this success in this investigation without commemorating the enormous grief of those who lost their loved ones or who have personally been seriously injured or damaged, both physically and mentally, by the crimes that now appear to be solved.
"Our deepest sympathy goes out to them and we call upon society to surround them with the care and love they now desperately need. The arrests of these suspects, although still to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, may be a consolation, but can never heal the serious wounds that were inflicted."
Although the press conference had been tailored specifically to discuss the recent success, Prosecutor Mos was questioned by the press on any leads in Saturday night's murder of Amador Jones. He said authorities had "indications that people do know who is the killer in that crime."
Mos said it should be much easier to solve this case, but witnesses needed to come forward with what they knew. In a plea to the community, he said, "Those who were there and those who saw what happened, come to the police, the Police Force, who is able and willing to solve that crime."
It was noted that the TGO would not be remaining on-island to investigate this recent murder. Prosecutor Mos said he was of the opinion that local police "can solve the case, if the community does what it has to do and helps out."
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