JAMAICAN Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, has called on the United States government to work with the Caribbean to fulfil the 2007 pledge made by the USA and CARICOM Member States to enhance co-operation in eradicating the illegal gun trade in the Region.

Marks told a hearing on US-Caribbean Security Cooperation that was held by the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control on Wednesday, that valiant efforts by Jamaican law enforcement and customs authorities continue to be undermined by lax vigilance on the part of their US counterparts.

This has made it relatively easy for persons to send shipments of illegal weapons from the USA to Jamaica, she said.

“As trans-shipment countries, Caribbean nations continue to shoulder a significant and disproportionate portion of the cost of the counter-narcotics efforts in the Region.  At the same time, our plea to the producers of small arms and ammunition to shoulder a portion of the responsibility for the alarming flow of illegal weapons into the Region continues to be met with resistance,” Marks said.

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