Wanted gang leader ‘Bloodstain’ captured in St Catherine, two others detained
/ Our Today
administrator
Anthony Henry
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has captured one of the country’s most wanted men, 43-year-old Courtney Ashley, otherwise called ‘Bloodstain’, the reputed leader of the Bottom Maverly Gang, during an intelligence-driven operation in Portmore, St Catherine.
Ashley was apprehended on Monday, January 12, during a targeted operation carried out by members of the St Catherine South Special Operations Team in Phoenix Park Village at about 7:10 p.m. Two other individuals, a man and a woman, were also taken into custody.
Police reported that upon their arrival at the location, two men attempted to evade officers but were quickly intercepted and detained along with the woman. All three were taken into custody without incident.
A subsequent search of the premises led to the seizure of several cellular phones, laptop computers, a card reader, and sums of Jamaican and United States currency.
Ashley was wanted in connection with the 2017 murder of Andrew Foster, as well as a shooting incident along Fenbrook Avenue in St Andrew. He had been prominently featured in the JCF’s Wanted Wednesdays campaign and had remained a person of interest in several investigations over the years.
According to police, Ashley was also listed as a high-risk target, with intelligence linking him to multiple gun-related incidents. He was the sixth suspect who escaped on July 21, 2025, following a confrontation with police on Jacks Hill Road, where officers thwarted a planned murder and seized five firearms, including an M16 rifle and a shotgun.
The JCF noted that while Ashley evaded capture during that earlier incident, his arrest on Monday was executed without any loss of life.
Head of the Crime and Security Portfolio, Deputy Commissioner of Police Richard Stewart, said the outcome underscores the Force’s commitment to upholding the rule of law while preserving life.
“The capture of this highly violent man underscores the validity of our appeal to suspects to surrender peacefully and not confront the police with firearms,” DCP Stewart said. “We continue to urge individuals with outstanding warrants to turn themselves in at the nearest police station.”
The identities of the other two individuals detained during the operation are being withheld pending further investigations.
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