WESTERN BUREAU:
THE POWERFUL black Llama 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which was seized during a police operation in Montego Bay on Thursday, is believed to be one of the weapons that figured prominently in the spate of recent murders in the Norwood/Glendevon area of the western city.
Members of the Montego Bay police flying squad allegedly took the weapon, which bears the serial number BOIT67, from the waistband of Collin Campbell, alias 'Garth', a 23-year-old labourer of a Barrack Road address. He was subsequently arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.
"This is not just another handgun, it is one of the most powerful weapons around today," said ace crime-fighter, Corporal Clive 'Karate Georgie' Lawrence, who said the weapon's velocity and durability, makes it extremely dangerous. "In the wrong hands, the weapon could cause a lot of grief."
While ballistic testing on the weapon has not yet been completed, Corporal Lawrence said that preliminary investigation and "trusted" intelligence have given the police strong reasons to believe that the weapon figured in some, if not all, of the five murders committed in the Norwood/Glendevon area within the past month.
In the week of January 19-25, the guns barked with alarming regularity in the area, resulting in the death of four persons, including eight-month-old Navaljah Colquhoun, who was shot in the back of his head as he was cradled in his mother's arms. In addition to those killed, several persons were also shot and injured in the spate of random shootings.
According to Corporal Lawrence, the police consider Thursday's gun seizure as, "a big catch", as it is believed it is was one of the most prized weapons in the city's criminal underworld. The latest seizure brings to 10 the number of illegal weapons seized since the start of the year. In one operation in the Rose Heights area in early January, three handguns were seized and three men and two women arrested and charged.
