BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUST three days before a large contingent of Assistant Commissioners of Police will meet in St. Kitts and Nevis to discuss strategies including gun-related crimes and violence in the Caribbean Region, a female Customs Officer in Guyana had unearthed a massive cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition.
Reports coming out of the South American country state that about 11:30 a.m. yesterday (May 8), Custom officials had discovered a large cache of arms and ammunition within a crate.
The cache comprised two AK 47 Assault Rifles, four .40 Pistols, 11 9mm Pistols, 15 extra magazines for the firearms, 489 various calibre rounds for the firearms and a bullet-proof vest.
According to Guyana’s leading newspaper, Kaieteur News, the discovery was made by a female Customs Officer at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation’s Wharf.
The Customs Officer, the media house stated, decided to check a crate after observing that it was somewhat larger than other shipment crates. After removing some food items, the woman saw two AK-47 rifles in a military-style haversack. And on checking further, Customs ranks found that the crate also contained the pistols and matching ammunition for the weaponry.
The media house also stated that a man was arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
It further stated that while the arms find has come just three days before Guyanese head to the polls (May 11), sources close to the investigation believe that the cache has no link to any political faction and that the smugglers had planned to sell the weapons to various unlicenced individuals.
“But security and Customs sources are worried that the smugglers may have already shipped other containers of high-powered weaponry, since not every crate and small container is examined,” it added.
In recent years there has been a drastic increase in gun crimes in the Caribbean, which is believed to have its genesis in the proliferation of illegal weapons entering the Region, and St. Kitts and Nevis is no different as the Federation has so far seen 14 homicides for this year.
The fact is, weapons are not manufactured in the Caribbean and many citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis have often voiced their concerns on this matter and have asked from where these illegal firearms originated as well as how they get into the Federation.
However, the cache unearthed in Guyana revealed that the arms and ammunition were reportedly acquired from Springfield Armory in the USA and the shipping agent was identified as Trans Caribbean Cargo International.
Reports also state that that the Guyana Police Force’s top brass have already notified their US counterparts, who have reportedly arrested an individual who is allegedly connected to the shipment.
SKNVibes is of the strong view that the Customs Officer should be commended for her actions and that her colleagues in Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis as well as the wider Caribbean should endeavour to emulate her.
