Stop the flow of guns - Bert Samuels wants more action from US authorities

Prominent attorney-at-law Bert Samuels is calling on the US to take immediate action in stemming the flow of illegal firearms into Jamaica, arguing that the island should reconsider its cooperation on drug interdiction until the gun trade is addressed.

His call comes in light of Tuesday's major gun bust, where 30 firearms and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were seized in a joint operation by the Jamaica Customs Agency and the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division at a warehouse on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston. The cache included 24 pistols, six rifles and 32 magazines.

"This is the second major bust in months. It is clear there is a well-organised trafficking network, and we must ask the question: why aren't these weapons being intercepted before they reach our shores?" Samuels said. "There are no gun manufacturers in Jamaica. These firearms are coming from abroad, yet we see little evidence that sufficient surveillance is happening at the exporting ports in North America."

Samuels argued that Jamaica has long cooperated with US authorities on stopping the flow of drugs into North America, but he questioned whether that cooperation is being reciprocated when it comes to firearms.

"Drugs are dangerous, but guns are instant killers. And what's worse, these high-powered weapons are ending up in the hands of poor people in ghetto communities," he said. According to Samuels, the time has come for Jamaica to take a stronger stance.

"We should put a stop to our cooperation on drugs until the US puts a stop to the guns entering Jamaica. This is a pandemic, a crisis that fuels our high murder rate."

On January 17, members of the division, in collaboration with Jamaica Customs, seized 66 firearms and 4,700 rounds of ammunition at Newport West in St Andrew. However, Samuels warned that these numbers may not tell the full story.

"What about the weapons we have not detected? For every shipment we seize, how many more are slipping through?" he asked. Samuels is urging Jamaica's new ambassador to the US to make gun trafficking a top priority.

"Our ambassador must push for an audience with US authorities to address this issue. If the US is serious about fighting crime in the region, it must do its part to prevent these weapons from reaching our shores."

Under Jamaica's Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction, and Regulation) Act, the illegal possession of a firearm carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment. The penalties for illegal possession of ammunition range from 10 years to life, depending on the circumstances.