The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says a green notice issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) may be the reason Jamaican dancehall artiste Popcaan was detained in the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
In a release the JCF noted that the artiste, whose given name is Andre Sutherland, was arrested twice in Barbados on charges of possession of marijuana in 2009 – for which he was deported to Jamaica- and in 2011 answered to charges related to possession of cocaine.
“Arising from those arrests and other intelligence gathered, a Green Notice was generated by Interpol in relation to him in 2015. The Notice was then reconfirmed by Interpol in 2018. A Green Notice provides Interpol members with a warning about a traveler’s potential criminal activities, where the person may be considered a threat to public safety,” a release from the JCF said.
JCF further explained that travelers who have been issued a Green Notice by Interpol may be subject to secondary security screening at international airports for a variety of reasons and these reasons fall completely within the purview of the local authorities in those respective jurisdictions, the release said.
On Tuesday, Popcaan posted on Instagram that he was being held in the UK because of information that was provided to British authorities by Jamaica.
In a social media post the artiste stated that, “I’m in the UK right now and I’m being detained because of information sent by country that i should be stopped. I wanna know why?”
The artiste continued by tagging the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness bringing the matter to his attention once again.
Local ministers have since stepped in the assist the deejay.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith denied that the Andrew Holness administration had anything to do with Popcaan’s continued detention in the United Kingdom.
“Checks with the Home Office advised that @Popcaanmusic was released. We further confirm that his stop and check was not at the instance of the Govt of JA. We also conveyed to the Home Office a letter from his attorney-at-law who may update the public as seen fit,” the Foreign Minister tweeted.
Robert Morgan, minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information also advised that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was briefed on the situation involving Popcaan.
“He has spoken to the minister of national security and the commissioner of police to review his situation with a view to help facilitate his ease of travel as an entertainer,” Morgan wrote via Twitter.
