Men from west Kingston say they will only sit and watch what unfolds from the capture of their don, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is now in police custody after being held yesterday.

The hard-boiled thugs from the area seemed a little on the softer side last evening as news of the capture of their don surfaced.

The news comes after the police yesterday said they were "upgrading the threat level based on intelligence suggesting that detained and displaced criminals as well as other criminals are planning attacks on security forces personnel and assets."

However, when THE STAR contacted the thugs via cellphone, some men were not in their usual talkative manner and said they can only hope for the best and said they planned to stay put. Others chose to be a bit more vocal and recalled memorable experiences they shared with the man they had vowed to fight for, while he was wanted by both local and foreign law enforcement officials.

"Jah know mi just a hear star ... Right now mi not even know wah fi seh cause a fret mi a fret fi di general yah now ... A just dat alone mi can say," one well-known thug uncharacteristically said. In past conversations with THE STAR he was a man of many words who had even admitted to being one of those who had challenged the security forces as they moved in on Tivoli Gardens on Labour Day.

Another thug claimed he was having a hard time digesting news that Dudus had been held and even added that he chanted a Psalms and said a prayer for the 'president' wishing for his safety. He then spoke of the generosity of Dudus who he says gave him money some years ago towards building a shop in Denham Town.

"It have mi a way seh dem hold him cause know wi nuh sure wah dem ago do wid him ... Years ago when nuttin naw gwaan fi mi and dem man deh, mi link and him help mi fi build a shop now things likkle betta ... Dem man deh a my president fi life," he said.


extradition hearing

Those who were contacted all shared the same concern, that being the safety of Dudus. They all pointed to the mysterious death of Dudus' father Lester 'Jim Brown' Coke, who died a fiery death in 1992 while in police custody awaiting a extradition hearing.

They along with other normal residents of west Kingston are worried that another mysterious incident may unfold.

"Me naw lie, mi kinda happy seh mi hear dat dem bring him in but mi still a fret seh him might end up like him father. A jus dat a worry my head now cause is a good man, trust me him do a lot of good fi Tivoli Gardens," one resident of the community, 49-year-old Patricia Hamilton told THE STAR.

Dudus had been on the run since May 24, when he is believed to have escaped the security forces who launched a massive offensive on Tivoli Gardens and its environs.

More than 70 persons plus three members of the security forces were killed during the operation.

Coke is wanted in the United States to answer charges relating gun-running and drug trafficking.