Extortionists around the Corporate Area and in Spanish Town, St Catherine, who prey on bus and taxi operators have become victims of their own scheme and are now being extorted, THE WEEKEND STAR has found.

Some 'loader men' in these areas are now being forced to pay up or pay the ultimate price.

THE WEEKEND STAR learnt that the extortion situation has taken a new dimension during a conversation with a 'loader man' in downtown Kingston last week

"Corruption inna everything now eno mi boss, some a wi haffi a pay money ya now," the character interestingly revealed.

According to him this is a fairly new development and one which only affects the less respected 'loader men'.

"Yu see a yute like me now weh nun too in a di violence ting, mi jus come out ya come hustle my food so a man like me dem a go target ... Di res' a man dem have dem bad man links weh can defend dem so dem good," he explained.

big man money

Another 'loader man' who operates in the Half-Way Tree area admitted that this was also the case there.

"Yea man since wah day some man affi a pay fi load bus and taxi eno or dem cyaa work ... If dem choose fi try work and nuh pay den a gunshot, simple as dat," he said before saying he could not talk much on the issue.

Checks in Spanish Town, St Catherine, found the same situation.

" A so the ting set mi boss when we earn a money fi load de vehicle dem we have to send the big man money out a it or else you can't work," one man told THE WEEKEND STAR.

His views reflect that of others who operate in Spanish Town and spoke about the system.

" It is why when we load a car you haffi defend di money as every dolla adds up yu seet," another man said.

The 'loader men' payments vary based on the amount of money they accumulate on any given day.

Meanwhile, the police say they are yet to pick up on the activity but they they are not surprised and will be investigating.

There are also plans by the police to target the 'loader men'.

Head of the Traffic Division Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis said that the police will be working to hinder the activities of these men by slapping them with formal charges and subsequently hefty fines.

"They will be charged with breaches of section two of the Town and Communities Act. We are going to arrest them for nuisance, intercepting and obstructing passengers ... These charges come with a $5,000 fine and if after being charged they are seen again then they will be charged again, so we're making their payout much greater than their income," Lewis said, before declaring, "My aim is to mash up di business of extortionists and 'loader men