70 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION SEIZED IN 24 HOURS

Eight Firearms and Over 70 Rounds of Ammunition Seized in 24 Hours

The Police are reporting that eight firearms, including one high powered weapon along with over 70 rounds of ammunition were seized and four persons arrested in separate incidents during the past 36 hours. This is as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) continues to increase operational activities and intensify efforts to “Get the Guns” island wide to help stem the crime rate.

As early as 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 07, reports were received of explosions in the Martin Street area of St. Catherine. The Police went to investigate and retrieved One Mack 11 sub-machine gun with two rounds of ammunition.

Two hours later, the Police were confronted by a gunman in Bongo Lane, Linstead, also in St. Catherine. The gunman – 27-year-old Rushane Thomas, otherwise called ‘Versace’, was killed during the confrontation and a .38 Special revolver with six rounds of ammunition taken from him.

That matter has been reported to the Inspectorate of the Constabulary (IOC) and the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM).

About midday, one Taurus pistol along with a magazine containing 9 rounds was seized at the Ocho Rios Transport Centre and two persons taken into custody. About the same time, a Beretta pistol both containing nine rounds of ammunition each was seized in Barrett Town, St. James during a joint Police/Military operation.

Firearm seizures continued well into Friday night with the Police seizing four firearms on Orange Street, Kingston – One Springfield Compact pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition. One man was arrested.

Another firearm – a .22 revolver containing three rounds of ammunition was seized on Fleet Street, Kingston during a Police patrol, another man was taken into custody.

The remaining two firearms were seized in Coral Gardens, St. James and Salt Marsh main road, Trelawny.

In the Coral Gardens incident, 28-year-old Andrew Anderson, labourer of Sugar Mill road, Ironshore in St. James was fatally shot during a confrontation with police about 10:00 p.m. in Coral Gardens. One Smith and Wesson pistol with 12 rounds was taken from him.

The matter has been reported to the Inspectorate of Constabulary (IOC) and the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM).

The Trelawny incident resulted in one FS 9mm pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition being seized, bringing the total of firearms seized to eight along with just over 70 rounds of ammunition in 36 hours.