NASSAU, The Bahamas – Law enforcement officials are on pace to break a six-year mark for gun seizures in the country after confiscating 212 illegal guns from the streets of The Bahamas over the first six months of the year. The figure is just 100 guns short of the six-year high of 312 set in 2009.

The 212 represents 35 guns per month being taken off the streets over the first six months of 2011. In all, Police officials have rid the streets of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas of 1,423 illegal firearms during the period 2006-July 5, 2011.

Minister of National Security, the Hon. O.A. “Tommy” Turnquest said a “determined effort” is being made to “rid our country of illegal guns.”

Mr. Turnquest said that firearms “that have been illegally smuggled into The Bahamas” have been “the main source of weapons” involved in crime, criminality and violence in the country. Those types of firearms, he said, have contributed to 49 of the 68 homicides (72 per cent) that have been committed in The Bahamas as of July 5, 2011.

The National Security Minister said there is a “direct correlation” between the illegal gun and drug trades and their associated violence.

 “A major contributing factor to the surge of gun-related crimes in our region has been the trafficking of narcotics, together with the availability of firearms,”  Mr. Turnquest said.

“We have seen that firearms have been the weapons of choice for the protection of contraband during transportation, and are also smuggled in along with drugs. There has also been evidence that illegal drugs are traded for illegal firearms, in addition to cash.

“These weapons (are then) used for protecting turf, for intimidating customers and competitors, for empowering recruits into criminal enterprises, for maintaining discipline and for executing informants,” Mr. Turnquest added.  

Mr. Turnquest said the Government of The Bahamas is determined to maximise all of its resources to thwart the illegal firearms and drugs criminal enterprises. These include upgraded efforts to better patrol and/or monitor the country’s air and sea ports  

“We have intensified the surveillance of our water by the Defence Force equipped with suitable vessels and aircrafts,” he said. “While this is expensive, it is a necessary undertaking that not only deters small-arms trafficking, but also drug trafficking, illegal migration and poaching of our marine resources.”

Mr. Turnquest said law enforcement and national security officials have also implemented a number of measures aimed at beefing up port scrutiny at the country’s official ports of entry.

“Another means of illegal entry of firearms into our country is their carriage through official ports of entry (air or sea) without detection,” he said.

“We are pleased that our Customs and Immigration Officers have been specially trained to identify and seize drugs and illegal firearms. Close collaboration among all of our law enforcement agencies to effectively address the problem of illegal firearm and to identify component parts together with being aware of the methods of concealment of firearms and ammunition have been ongoing.”  

Mr. Turnquest promised to continue the fight against the illegal smuggling of guns and other contraband into the country despite what he called “the resilience and creativity” of the criminal element.

He made a promise that the country’s law enforcement agencies will “remain ahead of the curve” in developing and implementing the measures necessary to “destroy the repulsive activities of drug dealers.”

“This can only be done by us working together, collectively as partners,” Mr. Turnquest added.