Concern Over ‘Large Numbers’ Of Illegal High-Powered Weapons In Saint Lucia – St. Lucia Times News

Black Immigrant Daily News

– Advertisement –

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) is concerned over the presence of illegal high-powered weapons on the Island, two of which Customs and Excise officials discovered in a barrel at Port Castries on Monday.

The Customs officials found two AR 15 rifles, a 9mm Taurus pistol, and ammunition, including thirty 5.56 rounds.

One man is in police custody in connection with the find, but police say it’s early days in their investigation.

And they have not yet announced charges.

– Advertisement –

The Head of the Major Crime Unit, Superintendent Luke De Freitas, declared on Wednesday that ‘serious carnage’ could result from high-powered weapons in the wrong hands.

De Freitas spoke during an appearance on the Hot 7 Television programme ‘Good Morning Saint Lucia’ with Host, Shannon Lebourne.

The senior police officer indicated that the importation of and access to high-powered weapons is a matter of grave concern.

“We are not seeing these weapons coming in you know, just a single weapon but what we have seen, people seem to have access to these weapons by the numbers, by the dozens and our intel would tell us that these weapons are here on Island in large numbers,” De Freitas explained.

He said in cooperation with other agencies the RSLPF is trying its best to curb the weapons influx.

However, De Freitas indicated that criminals and ‘bad elements’ find ways to go around systems that are in place.

“So we too need to be very innovative,” he asserted.

Nevertheless, he told ‘Good Morning Saint Lucia‘ that Saint Lucia could not go it alone.

“We need to also combine our efforts with our regional partners, with our international partners to deal with the situation,” De Freitas declared.

“The ideal would be to have these weapons intercepted even before they were to come on Island where we would not need to actually go looking for it here in Saint Lucia, but that we have the ability, with the assistance of our regional and international counterparts, to intercept these weapons, I suppose in the course of the importation or export from whichever country,” he told Host Shannon Lebourne.

Headline photo: Internet stock image

– Advertisement –

NewsAmericasNow.com