Senator calls for persons who import illegal guns to be labelled terrorists

 

Senator Charles Sinclair, Councillor for the Montego Bay North Eastern Division, wants the Terrorism Prevention Act amended to allow people who import illegal guns and ammunition into the country to be branded terrorists.

 

By definition, terrorism is the use of intentional violence for political or religious purposes.

 

Senator Sinclair, who addressed Thursday's monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation, noted that the purpose of the shipment of illegal guns and ammunition seized at the Freeport Wharf on Monday was not for a recognised sporting activity. 

 

"I feel...within this country of Jamaica, people who walk amongst us is that we have some people that are going to be regarded as terrorists; because it could only be a terrorist, Mr. Chairman, would have contemplated bringing into Jamaica that type of weapon or weapons. And the only purpose that you can get from a firearm and gunshots is for people to be murdered," he argued.    

 

Nineteen firearms, including six high powered rifles and more than 470 assorted rounds of ammunition were among the items seized on Monday in St. James.

 

US law enforcement agencies are assisting local police to track down the persons behind the shipment.

 

Senator Sinclair, who is an attorney, further argued that criminals should not be afforded constitutional rights. He warned that the government will have to "take some hard and drastic action against persons who behave and conduct themselves as terrorists and want to import into our country things that are not manufactured here for the sole purpose of causing mayhem." 

 

 

Councillor Michael Troupe of the Granville Division called for dancehall artistes to stop promoting the gun culture through their music.

 

Councillor Troupe, who was also speaking at the St. James Municipal Corporation meeting, argued that the problem will remain unless those types of music are banned.

 

"Some of our biggest artistes are now behind bar. They are the one that (sic) are (telling) the younger ones that gun is the order of the day... So we need to change the culture and we need to ask the minister to ban certain music, whether in private party or in public gatherings," he contended.