An estimated 510 arrests have been made across 19 Caribbean Countries following a joint firearms operation completed by INTERPOL and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
Operation Trigger VII was staged with the assistance of officers stationed at airports, seaports, land border and inland hotspots across 19 countries, who were directed to act on intelligence pointing to organised crime groups and individuals involved in firearms tracking.
Searches were also conducted on the grounds of warehouses, firearms dealerships, shooting ranges and private security companies.
The week-long operation, conducted from September 24 to 30, resulted in the seizure of 350 weapons, 3,300 rounds of ammunition, 10.1 tonnes of cocaine, 2.5 tonnes of cannabis and the arrest of the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice wanted for murder.
The operation was also supported by the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC), the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and US Homeland Security (HSI).
Authorities say a number of emerging trends in trafficking were identified through the operation.
One of which was the discovery of pistols and bullets being smuggled inside of cereal boxes. This discovery was reportedly made in Dominica by customs authorities who decided to x-ray a suspicious package.
20 pistols and multiple rounds of ammunition were discovered in this bust, and the intended recipient of the shipment was arrested upon attempting to collect.
Investigations in this manner are ongoing and being led by authorities in the United States and Dominica.
The operation also saw the first seizure of “ghost guns” in St Kitts and Nevis.
Ghost guns are firearms assembled using 80% pistol frames. They are unserialized and typically untraceable as they are usually completed using specialised kits, allowing individuals to bypass gun laws.
According to a release from INTERPOL, Operation Trigger VII “allowed authorities to gain a better understanding of existing threats, patterns, trends and smuggling channels within the region, hence ultimately saving lives.”
Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, highlighted that the operation was the first joint effort between INTERPOL and CARICOM IMPACS against firearms and would likely yield results for months to come as investigations continue.
Participating countries were: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, France (Guadeloupe and Martinique), Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.