KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 23 (UPI) -- A suspected Jamaican drug lord, whose attempted arrest last month set off violent clashes, has been taken into custody.
Jamaican police said they arrested Christopher "Dudus" Coke, 41, on drug-related charges. Coke is wanted in the United States, where he faced trial on drug and weapons charges.
Officials tried to detain Coke in May, an operation that set off four days of gun battles in which more than 70 people were killed.
He was arrested Wednesday at a traffic check point. He said he was en route to the U.S. Embassy in Kingston to surrender to U.S. authorities. Jamaican officials have taken Coke to an undisclosed location by helicopter to lessen the chance of a surge in violence.
Coke is alleged to be the leader of an international operation involving drugs smuggled into the United States and weapons sent to Jamaica. The investigation into the operation was said to have uncovered evidence that Jamaican politicians worked with gangs to increase both parties' power base.
