PHILIPSBURG--In what can be seen as a new wave of action by the Prosecutor’s Office to go after criminals who use their earnings to launder money, nine cars were confiscated on Tuesday from a car rental company believed to be involved in narcotics.
A statement from the Prosecutor’s Office read: “National Detective Team RST in cooperation with the Police Force of Sint Maarten took possession of nine vehicles that were located at different locations on the island. The vehicles belong to a car rental agency. There is a strong suspicion that the funds to purchase the nine vehicles came from amongst other things the sale of narcotics and the car rental business was used for the purpose of money-laundering.”
The RST for some time now has been investigating the car rental company and its owner, who was gunned downed recently by an unknown assailant on the French side of the island. Although the press release does not name the owner, The Daily Herald understands this to be Latoya Flanders, who was believed to be the girlfriend of well-known drugs dealer Urvin Laurence Wawoe.
The investigation will continue as detectives try to discover the origin of the money used to purchase the vehicles.
The Prosecutor’s Office is sending a message that assets acquired via criminal activities will be confiscated once this proves to be the circumstance and the public should take this case as an example that crime does not pay.
