Gun, ammo seizures in St James mount

WESTERN BUREAU:

The police have seized a total of 88 illegal guns and 4,543 assorted rounds of ammunition across the parish since the start of the year. This number dwarfs the 76 guns and 1,582 rounds of ammo seized over the corresponding period last year.

One gun that was seized in the Bottom Melbourne section of Montego Bay recently was of particular concern to the police. The weapon was an unusually small submachine gun equipped with a large-capacity magazine and fitted with a silencer.

“We are resolute in our determination in removing the illegal guns from the hands of criminals,” said Superintendent Vernon Ellis, commander of the St James police, who said that the police were developing strategies to clamp down on gun crime.

St James, which has been under a state of emergency since April 30, has recorded more than 100 murders so far this year.

In August, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said that intelligence reports had indicated that as many as 200 illegal firearms were smuggled into the island monthly.