Two more illegal guns seized in Hanover

WESTERN BUREAU:

Nine persons were taken into custody by the Hanover police after Sunday’s seizure of two firearms and a quantity of local and foreign currency, among other items, in an anti-crime crackdown in the Smithfield section of Cascade in the western parish.

“We have plotted our strategies and we are now going after the criminals, especially the gunmen, with a new result because we will definitely not allow any criminal to feel safe in this parish,” said Superintendent Sharon Beeput, the commanding officer for Hanover. “This brings to four the number of illegal guns that we have seized in this parish in recent weeks.”

According to Beeput, the operation, which was carried out in the form of house-to-house search, saw the officers entering a premises where a number of persons whose actions aroused suspicion were seen.

“During the search, we found one Glock 36 pistol with a magazine containing four .45 rounds, one Taurus .38 revolver with six .38 rounds, eight additional .38 rounds, and fifty 9mm cartridges,” said Beeput. “We also found US$1,700, J$490,000, one ski mask, two cellular phones, one pound of ganja, and one Wells Fargo debit card.”

While all nine occupants at the location were taken into custody, Beeput said that based on what they have uncovered in questioning the persons in custody, the primary focus is on three persons, who they believe they can be tied to the seized items.

“We are confident that by tomorrow we should be able to lay charges against three of the persons,” said Beeput.

With the various policing operations in St James putting criminals from that parish to flight, several gangsters, especially those with lottery- scamming interests, have been targeting Hanover as a convenient place to hide away. Because of the parish’s proximity to St James, they are able to operate fairly easily between the two parishes.

Just over a week ago, two men believed to be significant players in lottery scamming in western Jamaica were arrested and charged for breaches of the Law Reform Fraudulent Transaction Act in Industry Cove, Hanover. The two men are 26-year-old Kimroy Atkinson of Samuel Prospect, Trelawny, and 18-year-old student Delano Samuels of Industry Cove.

A third man, who resides in South Carolina in the United States, was also taken into custody but has not been charged. He is still being investigated as he is the owner of the property where the other two men were held.

According to reports, the police went to a house in Industry Cove and found paraphernalia associated with lottery scamming. They also seized seven telephones, which allegedly had the identity data of scores of Americans.