Eight Jamaicans who British law officials describe as prominent gang members have been deported from Britain in recent days, A London Evening Standard report outlined yesterday.

The deportation was part of a scheme by law officials to deport foreign gangsters behind a frenzy of violent crime who are being detained in London at the rate of two a week, the report added.

The initiative - code-named Operation Bite - seeks to forcibly expel dangerous foreign nationals who are linked to serious gangland crime, the report outlines.

The pilot scheme, run by Scotland Yard, is now being extended across the UK after a 100 per cent success rate in deporting criminals.

THE STAR understands that those expelled include a Jamaican national who was a known gang member in Southwark, who was jailed for rape and armed robbery and shot twice, once by a sub-machine gun, at Tulse Hill railway station.

Two other Jamaicans, who are twins and gang members, have also been deported for links to gun crime and robberies.

dangerous individuals

Under the operation, police identify the most dangerous individuals involved in crimes such as murders, kidnappings, shootings, stabbings, and drugs supply and their names are fast-tracked to the UK Borders Agency.

The agency then has the power to strip the individuals of their rights to remain in the country even if they have been granted residency status.

Details of the operation were revealed on Friday as a new crackdown against gangs in London gets under way.

Nine people are already in immigration detention awaiting removal from Britain. The unit has a list of dozens of targets although police refuse to give precise numbers.

The report said the eight deported so far also include Jermain Jarrett, 21, a Jamaican who was leader of a Southwark gang.

In what was described as an unprecedented move, authority was obtained from the Home Secretary to detain Jarrett at 17 - the minimum age is usually 18 - because of the risk he posed.

Also included is Omar Wildman, a 22-year-old Jamaican member of a Brixton gang linked to drugs and firearms.