Police uncover Automatic Assault rifle

Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller remains tight-lipped about the details surrounding the discovery of a high-powered military rifle in an abandoned building at an undisclosed location earlier this week.{{more}}

According to Miller, local “law abiding citizens” were instrumental in helping the police locate the A15 M-4 Automatic Assault Rifle and one magazine containing nine live rounds of 5.56 ammunition.

The weapon has the ability to discharge 700-950 rounds per minute and has a range of over 2,000 meters. It can also be fitted with a telescope.

The weapon can be used in semi-automatic or fully automatic modes and can carry 30 rounds of ammunition. It uses four types of ammunition including: Blank, Ball, Tracer (used for target indication) and armour piercing ammunition.

At a press briefing held at the Police Headquarters conference room on Monday this week, Miller affirmed that the importation and proliferation of illegal guns continues to be of grave concern for the local Constabulary and as a result, they are continuing to solicit assistance from regional and international counterparts to investigate the movement of these firearms.

This recent find brings the total number of firearms and ammunition recovered by the police this year to 57 firearms and 901 rounds of ammunition. Twelve of these firearms and 394 rounds of ammunition were discovered as a result of the recently held crime fighting initiative, “VINCY PAC”.

“The recoveries of the majority of these firearms were intelligence driven…as a result I want to thank those law-abiding citizens who continue to assist the police,” Miller said.

At Monday’s press briefing, Commissioner Miller read from a prepared statement and did not entertain questions from the media.

However, on the A.M. Mayhem call in programme with Too Kool Chris on Hot 97.1 on Wednesday, August 5th, Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr Ralph Gonsalves, in response to a question, said that persons wanting to know the details surrounding the seizure of the weapon do not understand issues of security. “Everything that the security forces do, you can’t go about and tell everybody,” he stated.

Describing the weapon as “serious” and “dread”, the prime minister said, “A weapon like that doesn’t come in by any ordinary fellow. I do not have to say, as Minister of National Security what evidence we have pointing towards possibly someone. You want me to broadcast that on the street?”

Under the firearms act of 1995, this type of weapon is prohibited, except with prior approval of the Prime Minister. A person found with this weapon is liable to imprisonment to a term not exceeding 10 years and on indictment, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 20 years.

For the year so far, there have been nine reported homicides three of which involved illegal firearms. At this point last year, there were 16 reported homicides, nine of which were as a result of illegal firearms. (KW)