Who is Christopher Coke?

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Accused Jamaican drug lord is deeply connected - thestar.com: "Fierce fighting between Jamaican security forces and gunmen trying to protect a powerful gang leader extended into a third day Tuesday in Kingston, highlighting a convoluted political system in which Jamaican politicians and crime bosses often team up to share power.

The police on Tuesday provided their first account of the civilian toll of the fighting: 26 have been killed and 25 wounded. The government said that three police officers and soldiers had been killed, along with a security official."

Al Jazeera English Profile: Christopher Coke: "Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is described by the US justice department as one of the most dangerous drug lords in the world.

From a slum stronghold in Kingston,the Jamaican capital, the 42 year-old is said to run a sprawling drug and gun running empire that reaches around the world.

On the impoverished streets of the Tivoli Gardens ghetto, one of Jamaica's notorious 'garrison' slums, Coke is revered as a man of the people who has used his vast wealth to invest in the local community and provide jobs for people who would be otherwise unemployed."

Profile: Christopher 'Dudus' Coke | The Guardian: "Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is a man who inspires conflicting emotions. To the US government he is one of the world's most dangerous criminals, responsible for trafficking cannabis and crack cocaine around the Caribbean, North America and the UK in exchange for guns and money.

To the residents of Tivoli Gardens, the poor west side of Kingston where his gang has immense support, he is the benefactor who provides them with food, acts as mediator in disputes and even sends their children to school. They call him Presi, Bossy, Shortman or, most commonly, Dudus."

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