Gunrunners’ business could be in danger
Professor says alleged threat against Montague suggests disruptions in enterprise
THE SURFACING of an alleged threat against the life of former National Security Minister Robert Montague may very well indicate that the business of gunrunners is being dented, Professor Anthony Clayton, sustainable development professor at the University of the West Indies, has asserted.
“It is usually a sign that things aren’t going well for them. When things are going well for them, they don’t need to issue threats like this. It is quite likely that they are now starting to feel pressure for them to be pushed to a point where they have to resort to violence. This is the tactic that organised crime has used before to intimidate people or to send a message, not just to the person being threatened, but also to demoralise the entire security establishment,” Clayton said yesterday.
A source close to Montague, who was recently reassigned as minister to the Ministry of Transport and Mining, told The Gleaner yesterday that he was not taking the threat lightly.
The source also said that the minister had expressed full confidence in the abilities of local and United States-based law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the situation.
SECURITY BEEFED UP
Security around and at the minister’s home has reportedly been increased.
The Corporate Communications Unit yesterday issued a statement outlining that the Jamaica Constabulary Force does take all incidents of threats seriously. The statement said that investigations into the matter require identifying and authenticating the source of the threat, which originated overseas. Assurance was also given that requisite actions have been taken to cover Montague’s safety and security.
The Sunday Gleaner yesterday reported that gunrunners have allegedly said that they want to kill Montague.