THE police have launched an investigation to determine how a high powered weapon used by the United States army ended up in the hands of local criminals in West Kingston.

The weapon, a Colt AR15 A2 rifle equipped with a 37mm grenade launcher, which police say is the third most powerful weapon to be found in the West Kingston area since the Tivoli Gardens incursion two years ago, was recovered during an early morning operation in Denham Town, Kingston yesterday.

"About 6:30 am a series of operations were conducted in the Denham Town area and during a search police went to Wellington Street where they found the rifle under a cellar," Detective Inspector Percival Anderson of the Denham Town Police Station told the Jamaica Observer.

A bullet-proof helmet was also found in the raid.

The police up to late yesterday said that they were trying to determine if the helmet was owned by the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

No one was arrested during the operation.

"The latest find is cause for concern. This is indicative of the type of the firepower that we [police] face especially in this particular police division," Anderson said.

According to the police, information suggested that a number of other weapons were still in the hands of criminals and vowed to continue their operations to remove them from the streets.

Yesterday's gun find follows the recovery of two 50-calibre rifles including a 50-calibre Grizzly Big Boar sniper rifle by the security forces at an old Public Works Department property popularly known as Rasta City earlier this year. The property is adjacent to Tivoli Gardens.

In the meantime, the police said they were monitoring the area following reports that there has been an upsurge in gang-related activities in the division.