Jamaica Customs Agency In ‘Get Every Illegal Gun’ Campaign
By: , February 25, 2022
Photo: Mark Bell
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, speaks at the ground-breaking ceremony of a new Stony Hill Police Station, which was held in St. Andrew West Rural on February 24.The Full Story
The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) will be formally brought into the ‘Get Every Illegal Gun’ campaign, to strengthen the efforts against the illicit importation of guns through the country’s ports.
This was stated by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, at the ground-breaking ceremony for a new Stony Hill Police Station in St. Andrew West Rural, on February 24.
“We are going to [ensure] that no illegal guns come through our legal ports. It is now time that we get tough on the internal collaborators and facilitators who are allowing illegal guns to come into our country. They get rich from it, while the poor people in the country die from it,” Mr. Holness said.
“It is time that they face serious consequences for their actions and I want them to know without fear or favour, that we will be looking very seriously and closely at the operations of those agencies and entities,” he added.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the first financial provision of the campaign will be made by the Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA), in the sum of $25 million.
In addition, he noted that several considerations have been given to the FLA, including the process of applications for firearms and the eligibility criteria.
“We (National Security Council) considered the approvals process for firearms and the mainstreaming of the intelligence agencies in the approval process. We considered the removal of any residual discretion of the Minister to approve firearms licences. We also considered the introduction of new technologies for the marking and tracing of firearms and ammunition,” he disclosed.
According to Prime Minister Holness, more announcements will be made by the Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang and the Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, the JCA and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Agency (MOCA).
Citizens can report any suspected case of illegal guns in their communities by calling the Police at 119 or Crime Stop at 311.