Cargo ship terminal, Unloading crane of cargo ship terminal, Industrial port with containers and container ship.
Security officials suspect that criminal networks may be smuggling firearms into Antigua and Barbuda piece by piece before assembling them locally, as the country grapples with growing concern over gun-related crime.
The suspected trafficking method was disclosed during Thursday’s post-Cabinet media briefing by Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant, who outlined some of the challenges confronting authorities as they seek to determine how illegal weapons continue to enter the country.
According to Merchant, firearm components could be shipped separately and concealed among legitimate imported goods, making them considerably more difficult for Customs officers to identify during routine inspections.
An individual component may not immediately appear to be part of a firearm, particularly if it resembles an ordinary mechanical object or is packed among unrelated merchandise. Once the separate pieces enter the country, authorities believe they could be brought together and assembled into a functioning weapon.
The disclosure comes amid heightened national concern over the increase in firearm-related crimes in Antigua and Barbuda, including shootings and the discovery of illegal weapons during recent police operations.
The situation has become a major public-safety concern and prompted the Government to convene an emergency meeting with senior security officials to discuss gun violence, repeat offenders and the wider national response to crime.
Police have since intensified intelligence-led operations, searches, vehicle checkpoints and patrols under “Operation Restore Confidence.” Several firearms and rounds of ammunition have been seized, while a number of people have been arrested for questioning.
Well i dont think so, i think the guns are coming in shipments that get special delivery to the owners properts, some containers get deliver to its final location then a custom officer would come in and check, that need to be done with custom officer a honest police officer if there are any honest ones, with a dog