Surveillance upgrade at ports to combat gun smuggling

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced that the government is stepping up efforts to tackle the influx of illegal firearms into Barbados by upgrading security surveillance technology at the island’s ports of entry.

At a press conference at Ilaro Court on Thursday, Mottley acknowledged the lingering presence of firearms that entered the country before her administration took office in 2018.

She revealed that a project is underway to enhance scanning equipment at ports to better intercept weapons.

Mottley told journalists that while the current technology is effective, the latest advancements offer significant improvements. She added that the government has already held discussions with suppliers.

“We are in the process of dealing with the investigation and the new technology and the procurement of new scanners with the entity that we are dealing with,” she said. “What we have is good, but what is now available in terms of the technology is better.

“They did their audit, even before Nelson Street [deadly mass shooting]. They had already done audits at the airport, and they will continue at the seaport.”

The prime minister gave an assurance that law enforcement remains committed to an aggressive crackdown on illegal firearms, including those being smuggled into the country in parts.

She pointed to the recent discovery of a 3D printer being used to produce a firearm receiver as an example of the challenges faced by authorities. The development prompted the announcement that 3D printers will require licences and regular inspections.

“Many weapons come broken down,” she added. “There are people before the courts now, mechanics charged for putting the weapons back together. So, I want us to be very clear. Where are the areas of danger? The airport, the seaport, the couriers, all of the couriers – that’s where they have been picking people and holding people; periodically, the post office. And then, of course, those who try to get through the coastal arc of Barbados.”

While firearms do not enter the island in large shipments, the gradual accumulation of smaller quantities has become a serious issue, Mottley said.

“No big splash of guns comes at any one time because there is no war in that traditional sense, but three guns here, four guns here, two guns here, five guns here, and that’s how they have been coming in. But we have that old Bajan saying that ‘oneone blow is kill old cow’. And the cumulative impact of it is what is killing us now,” she said.

She cautioned those involved in illegal gun activity that current laws provide for penalties of up to life imprisonment, as she sought to signal her administration’s intent on tackling the gun menace