Remanded at Her Majesty’s Prison
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO men among a group of four, who were taken into police custody on Saturday (Aug. 19) following the discovery of two illegal firearms and a quantity of ammunition in the Newton Ground area, were formally charged for the offences.
According to a police communiqué, the two men, Darren ‘Bookie’ Caines of Rawlins Ground in St. Paul’s and Keithroy ‘Luddy’ Freeman of Willet’s Project, St. Paul’s were charged with possession of one Glock 23 Pistol, possession of 31 rounds of ammunition, one Ruger SR 40 Pistol, possession of one Ruger SR 40 Pistol with intent by means to endanger life.
SKNVibes was informed that both men were remanded at Her Majesty’s Prison.
On the day in question, police reported that a surveillance mission was launched in the Newton Ground area, where members of the Special Services Unit and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force conducted searches on two vehicles and discovered the two illegal firearms and ammunition.
The report also stated that “four persons were taken into custody, including a Customs Officer”.
However, the communiqué received this morning (Aug. 29) did not identify which of the two men charged with the offences is the Customs Officer, but informed sources told this publication that it is Caines.
The discovery had taken to 37 the number of illegal firearms taken off the streets of St. Kitts and Nevis for 2017; one more than the total seized last year.
Commenting on the discovery at that time, Deputy Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy said: “I want to commend the team on this seizure. The Team Leader saw something out of the ordinary, reflected and relied on his training and took the appropriate actions. He followed his intuition, and it reaped dividends...two more illegal firearms are off the streets.”
Commissioner of Police Ian Queeley had also commented on the discovery, noting that it underscored the point that the Security Forces’ efforts to rid the communities of illegal guns continue to be a challenge, and that the joint forces is committed to ensuring Citizen Safety in the Federation.
“This seizure, coming on the heels of those about two weeks ago, will serve as a motivator for our teams. It will also reinforce that by staying focused and vigilant our efforts will continue to bear fruit. To the team, I say a job well done.”
He continued: “I urge all citizens to join us in our efforts to ensure safe communities. I encourage you to come forward and share any information you may have with regards to crime and criminal activity.”
The Commissioner had advised that that the sharing of information could be done by calling any police station, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 or by using the SKN Crime Reporter App on a Smartphone.
