International Crime Ring Bust


Last Update:8/30/2007 12:41:05 PM
Web Editor: Kari Webb


By: Sheeka Strickland



Nine Colombian nationals are in the Putnam County Jail after deputies say they stopped plans to rob a jewelry salesman according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. Sills says they're part of an international organized crime ring.

Sheriff Sills says the attempted robbers followed a jewelry salesman traveling from Atlanta.

"He wasn't on business, he was just going to visit a friend and they followed him here," said Sills. "And I guess they thought it would be easier to rob him down here than it would be in Atlanta, but I guess they found out that was the opposite."

Sills believes they're Colombian nationals that follow salesman for days, or weeks, at a time waiting for the best time to rob them. He says their target had no idea they were following him.

"I know what it takes to run a moving surveillance over a target of hundreds of miles or across states, I've done it in my career and it's very difficult to do, and these people seemed to have that part of it down," said Sills.

Sheriff Sills explained that there were two cars staked out on two different streets, on both sides of the Methodist church, and another car in a nearby shopping center parking lot.

They were all doing surveillance on the jewelry salesman they were allegedly planning to rob, but a tip from Gwinnett County Law Enforcement allowed Putnam deputies to foil the plan.

Bruce Morris, the Youth Pastor of the church, saw the nine people getting arrested.

"You just shake your head you're just sort of like, wow. Even in a small town like this you have stuff like that that goes on," said Morris.

Sheriff Sills says nine people are in jail in connection with the attempted robbery. Two others got away.

The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency confirmed that six of them are illegal immigrants.


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