Gun flow worrying
published: Sunday | October 10, 2004

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

THE POLICE have seized over 400 illegal firearms since the start of 2004, according to the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN).

Last week's discovery of seven weapons in the Olympic Gardens and Barbican areas of St. Andrew pushed the number to almost 450. On Friday two weapons, one an AK47 assault rifle, were found at the St. Paul's Church in Tower Hill, a neighbourhood in Olympic Gardens that has a long history of political and gang violence. No one has been arrested. The following day, police arrested and charged five persons for illegal possession of a Bryco 9-millimetre firearm at a home in Barbican. They were also charged with
illegal possession of (11 rounds) of ammunition.

TALLY

Figures from the CCN show that up to Friday, the police had brought in approximately 439 illegal guns including 210 pistols and 89 revolvers. The tally is completed by 21 submachine guns, 21 home-made guns, 20 rifles and 18 shotguns. The CCN was unable to say how many arrests have been made, but the St. Andrew South (73 weapons, 958 rounds of ammunition), Kingston West (31 guns, 564 rounds of ammunition), St. Andrew North (16 guns, 900 rounds of ammunition) and St. Catherine North (50 firearms) police divisions have seized their share of illegal guns since January.

Superintendent Assan Thompson of the St. Andrew North division, says tracking illegal weapons is not an easy job. "It's one of the most difficult things to monitor because people are very creative in how they hide them," he said.

The Superintendent said that police in his division have come up with an effective strategy that has brought in four illegal guns, including an AK47, in the past four weeks. For security reasons, he declined to outline that strategy.

SUPERIOR WEAPONS

One local firearms distributor, who wished not to be named, says once high-powered weapons are in the hands of criminals the police's job becomes even more dangerous. He said a lot of these illegal guns, like the AK47, are automatic weapons which are far superior to those used by law enforcement in this country.

The illegal weapons remain a major concern for Jamaican police. Last year, Spanish Town Mayor, Raymoth Notice, pitched a plan to Government which he said would help reduce the presence of unlicensed guns, and crime, in his politically-divided town. Dr. Notice proposed that persons with knowledge of the whereabouts of illegal guns should be rewarded monetarily. Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, said he would consider the plan but little has been heard of it since.

The discovery of illegal guns is still common despite the police having considerable success bringing in these weapons and ammunition during the past three years. In the space of two months in 2001, they made three major discoveries in St. Andrew and Portmore, St. Catherine.

BIGGEST TRIUMPH

The biggest of these triumphs came in November when they netted over 40,000 rounds of ammunition and 15 firearms at two locations in St. Andrew. Four men including the mastermind, Oliver Irons, a part-time teacher were arrested and charged for their connection with this cache which police say is the largest of its kind seized in Jamaica. Irons was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the incident while Desmond Gayle, a District Constable, was handed a 10-year stretch. In May, 2003, 11 guns and 756 rounds of ammunition were discovered in an air compressor at the Newport Customs Bonded Warehouse. Among the illegal booty were an AK47 rifle, a 9-millimetre Uzi submachine gun and a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun.

Superintendent James Forbes, vice-president of security at the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), says criminals are still trying to bring in guns through the wharves. However, he added that it has become increasingly difficult to breach security.

"We have had a few discoveries but with the equipment we have now there has been a decline," said Superintendent Forbes. Administrators at the ports have stepped up their security detail in the past year by purchasing several high-tech equipment. This includes five Non-Intrusive Inspection Units which scans containers for illegal substances, and a Pallet Unit which performs a similar function with boxes and barrels. Mr. Forbes told The Sunday Gleaner that the port security also collaborates with the Jamaica Defence Force's Coast Guard to monitor the port basin. He says the PAJ's off-compound security has also been strengthened with the acquisition of two Go-Fast boats and underwater cameras.