LOCAL police believe the killing of a Jamaican man in Haiti last Friday has placed a significant dent in the deadly drug for guns trade.

The man, a resident from the Old Harbour community in St Catherine, has been described a major player in the ring which sees criminals in Jamaica and Haiti swapping marijuana for guns. He was shot dead by the Haitian police during a confrontation in southern Haiti where he had been living since fleeing Jamaica.

“At this time we cannot give you too much information on the matter as it is still under investigation, but we believe he was a key player in the trade,” a senior investigator told the Jamaica Observer on Monday, promising that the identities of other major players will be revealed as the police step up efforts to clamp down on the trade.

Meanwhile, a police team from Jamaica is set to leave for Haiti today to boost collaboration between both countries against criminals in the deadly trade.

The Police High Command said the collaboration is an extension of the recently launched Get the Guns campaign, which up until Monday had resulted in the seizure of 65 illegal guns off the nation’s streets.

“Twenty-four of those firearms were seized over the last week,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Assan Thompson told the Observer on Monday, noting that the figure was a 100 per cent increase over the 12 illegal weapons seized the previous week.

— Kimmo Matthews