The .45 Colt that was recovered by the Flying Squad yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Flying Squad detectives and their United States counterparts are now actively trying to determine how a gun registered to the U.S. army entered Jamaica.

The weapon - a .45 Colt pistol - was seized at premises in Harbour View, east Kingston, yesterday morning.

Sgt. Curtis Ashman of the Flying Squad said while most of the guns smuggled into the island from South America and Haiti were linked to the guns-for-drugs trade, his department is stumped by the discovery of the U.S. army weapon here.

"We are at a loss for this one," Sergeant Ashman told The Gleaner yesterday.

A first

He noted that in his 20-odd years as a policeman, this is the first time he has ever known of a U.S. army gun being seized here.

Sergeant Ashman said it should be easy to trace the weapon.

Early yesterday morning, Deputy Superintendent of Police Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford and a team from the Flying Squad carried out several operations in Kingston.

The police say their team targeted premises at 2 Nautilus Avenue in Harbour View, where the .45 Colt pistol with serial number 1315322, along with a magazine containing four live .45 cartridges, was found. Inscribed on the firearm were the words: 'United States Property - U.S. Army'.

"The firearm is a standard army issue for the United States army," a policeman from the Flying Squad said.

Three persons - Novelette Hinds, 37, unemployed; Anthony Williams, 34, also unemployed; and Matthew Brown, 19, surveyor assistant - were arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearm.

They are expected to appear in court on December 7.

In recent times, the police have increased their efforts to rid the streets of illegal guns.

Just last Thursday, five high-powered rifles were found in a refrigerator at Universal Freight Handlers' warehouse on Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston.

A man who went to pick up the container was also detained and is now being interrogated by the police.

The find comprised two shotguns, an AK-47 assault rifle, a 9mm submachine gun and a .62-calibre rifle equipped with a telescope.

The police say the guns came from a port in the United States and were to be received by a prominent Corporate Area gang.

- P.F.