KINGSTON, Jamaica-Two individuals have been taken into custody in connection with a massive gun and ammunition seizure at the Kingston Wharves on Friday.

According to the police, the seizure was as a result of a joint operation between the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch (C-TOC) and the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) in what the police described as “a significant stride in the relentless efforts of Jamaican law enforcement agencies to combat illegal firearm trafficking.”

Sixty-four assorted 9mm pistols, 965 9mm rounds of ammunition, and 107 magazines were discovered concealed within a shipment originating from the United States.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fitz Bailey, emphasised the importance of collaboration and interdependence among law enforcement agencies.

“This reinforces the importance of collaboration and interdependency, and that is what we have been doing as a group of law enforcement agencies. We are getting better at collaborating, and I want to express gratitude for the level of support that we are getting from the Jamaica Customs during our investigations, especially into firearm trafficking,” Bailey said in a statement on Friday.

Investigations into the origin and destination of the illicit firearms are underway as authorities continue their efforts to combat transnational crime.

Meanwhile, DCP Bailey is appealing to Jamaicans in the diaspora to desist from contributing to violence in their homeland through the trafficking of weapons. Highlighting the impact of the flow of illegal guns from the US into Jamaica, DCP Bailey said, “We hear about the problems of gun violence in Jamaica and I want to make an appeal to the Jamaican citizens who actually are creating this significant problem that we have…I am appealing to the diaspora to engage the citizens and encourage them to desist from this type of destructive activity that is preventing them from coming to Jamaica to enjoy the paradise that we have.”