Eight illegal guns seized out west in four days

THE AREA One Police Division in western Jamaica is basking in its success following the seizure of eight illegal firearms and more than 180 rounds of assorted ammunition in Westmoreland and St James on the weekend.

The gun seizures came on the heels of the death of Amoy ‘Pinky’ Young, one of St James’ most wanted men, during a reported shoot-out with members of the security forces in Granville on Thursday. A 9mm semi-automatic pistol and two rounds of ammunition were seized during that incident.

According to reports, on Thursday afternoon following Young’s death, the police responded to a flare-up of violence in Salt Spring, St James, and seized an M-16 assault rifle.

The lawmen returned to conduct an operation in Salt Spring on Friday morning. During a search of premises in a section of the community known as Bucktoe Lane, a KM-Tactical AR-15 rifle, a Colt Carbine M-16 rifle, and an Anderson KM AM-15 rifle, along with sixty-eight 5.56 rounds, fifty-nine .223 rounds and ten 9mm rounds were seized.

More guns were found in St James on Saturday, when the police search premises at Rose Heights and uncovered a .45 semiautomatic pistol fitted with a magazine containing ten .45 rounds, and 24 other assorted rounds of ammunition. Four persons, including a woman, were taken into custody in connection with that seizure.

At the same time, over in Savanna-laMar, Westmoreland, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition was seized during a joint military operation along Ricketts Street in the capital.

Following that operation, the cops raided a nightclub in Georges Plain, Westmoreland, on Sunday morning, and one man was held with a .40 Desert Eagle pistol loaded with three rounds.

“The police went all out this weekend, with the help of the Jamaica Defence Force. We have been getting fairly good cooperation from community members, and I am sure that these weapons, which were seized across the parishes of St James and Westmoreland alone, were aimed at taking a number of lives,” one senior investigator told