Gov't to pay up to $500,000 for illegal guns
Published:Friday | February 4, 2022 | 2:13 PM
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced a new get the guns campaign.
Under the initiative, a reward system will be put in place where between $250,000 and $500,000 will be paid for illegal weapons.
Speaking at an event in Olympic Gardens, St Andrew today, Holness said the undertaking is part of the Government's strategy to fight crime.
He appealed to persons in possession of illegal guns to give them up.
He also urged persons with information to share it with the police.
“There are several key elements to the plan. Some of them are too secret. We won't say too much about them, except to say that our capacity to detach and recover firearms has considerably improved and you are seeing the results of it already,” Holness said.
He reiterated that plans are afoot to significantly increase the penalty for possession of an illegal gun.
“In a few days, we will take a new Firearms Bill to Parliament which will create several new offences,” he said.
Today's announcement came a day after 13 guns, including 10 high-powered rifles, were seized in a police operation in the Florence Hall housing scheme in Trelawny.
One man was shot and killed in the operation.
On Monday, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson indicated that since the start of the year, 88 illegal guns have been recovered.
These include 13 rifles, the highest haul in January since 2011.
Anderson indicated that the AK-47 is the weapon of choice for gunmen in Jamaica, with the gun costing between $500,000 and $1 million to acquire.
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