Two charged for firearms, ammo find on boat

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - POLICE have arrested and charged two men in  the recent find of two firearms and a quantity of ammunition aboard a boat in the Dieppe Bay area.

On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, during a search of motor vessel Issiah, police had found the two weapons with matching rounds of ammunition.
 
In a media statement, police reported that after a search of the vessel with registration number V4-600-DB, they found one AK-47 rifle with a scope and 64 matching rounds of ammunition, as well as one Taurus semi-automatic 9mm pistol with laser and 152 rounds of matching ammunition, which were all confiscated.
 
Police have since slapped 38-year-old Iroy Marshall of Main Street, Saddlers Village and 43-year-old Samuel Maynard of Dieppe Bay with charges of Possession of Firearms and Possession of Ammunition. 
 
However, the police did not provide details about how they came to search the vessel, whether they believe that the weapons were illegally brought into the Federation or whether they were tipped off about the find. 
 
Those charges came after police, during an operation in the Newtown area, found another firearm and matching rounds of ammunition for which two individuals were taken into custody. 
 
In a press statement, police revealed that members of the Anti-Narcotics Unit had executed a search on a premises at East Street, Newtown on Thursday (Aug. 18) morning and found one Taurus semi-automatic PT738 .380 pistol with six rounds of matching ammunition. 
 
An  individual, who lives on the premises, and another person were taken into custody in connection with the find. 
 
As the police continue to boast of the number of gun finds thus far for the year, concerns are still being raised over how the guns are making their way into the Federation.
 
Earlier this year, Police Commissioner Hilroy Brandy expressed disgust that despite no gun company is registered in the Federation firearms continue to pop up on the streets of St. Kitts and Nevis.
 
Over the last several years, the Federation on average recorded double digit homicides and many of them were being committed with the use of firearms.