Soldier among 4 arrested for guns | alleged gunman killed at Kitson Town

A member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is among four people arrested yesterday as law enforcers seized five guns in separate operations across three parishes.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said the first seizure took place about 5 o’clock yesterday morning, October 17, in St Thomas.

“Police on operation in Ten Mile, Bull Bay, St Thomas seized one Piertro Berretta .380 pistol and eight .380 rounds of ammunition during the search of a premises,” the JCF explained.

It said 42-year-old mechanic Ricardo Francis from Jacksvale at Gypsum Road in the parish was arrested in connection with the seizure. He is to appear in the Corporate Area Gun Court on Thursday, October 25.

The second find happened about 7:30am yesterday in St Andrew, during a joint police/military operation involving members of the security forces who are on duty in the Corporate Area state of public emergency.

They searched an unoccupied house and found a Glock pistol with a magazine containing five rounds of ammunition. The JCF stated that the gun was found hidden in a clothes basket, adding that no arrest was made.

In the third incident yesterday morning, the Spanish Town police seized one 9 millimetre pistol with two rounds of ammunition following a confrontation with an alleged gunman on Ackles Hill main road in Kitson Town, St Catherine.

Thirty-five-year-old Garth Thomas was shot and killed during that incident, which is being probed by the Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Meanwhile, the fourth gun seizure took place about 5:30 yesterday afternoon when law enforcers on another operation accosted 27-year-old Ricardo Linton at Big Lane in Central Village, St Catherine.

A Berretta Nano pistol with nine rounds of ammunition was taken from him, the JCF said, adding that Linton has been charged with Illegal Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

In the fifth incident for the day, law enforcers arrested and charged a member of the JDF Coastguard after they allegedly found him in possession of an illegal gun and ammunition on Oliver Road in Rockfort, Kingston 2.

Reports are that police on patrol in the area saw the soldier walking along the roadway.

They accosted and searched him, and allegedly found a 9 millimetre Browning pistol with a magazine containing 13 rounds of ammunition.

The JCF stated that the soldier, whose identity it is withholding at this time, is from White Hall in Kingston 8.

The JCF, in the meantime, commended the security forces for what it described as their endless efforts in ridding the nation’s streets of illegal weapons and ammunition.

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