POLICE yesterday detained four persons and seized an illegal firearm and a quantity of marijuana during a hour-long raid at premises on St John’s Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

None of the detainees were charged up until late yesterday, but the police said a 39-year-old man could be held accountable for the weapon – a 9mm pistol loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.

It was not immediately clear the amount of drug seized.

Yesterday, the arrests sparked a brief protest by residents of the community. The residents, the police said, used debris to block a section of the road hindering the movement of traffic. The blockade was, however, quickly cleared by the police.

A cop at the Spanish Town Police Station described the operation as successful and intelligence-driven.

“They (residents) came out and blocked the road a bit, but we cleared it. Apart from that, we followed our intelligence and the operation was fruitful,” the policeman told the Observer.

Yesterday, three of the detainees sat handcuffed together in the Criminal Investigative Bureau office at the station. For the most part, they seemed unperturbed, giggling now and again as the officers went about their businesses.

In the meantime, the St Andrew North Police said they have charged a man for last month’s murder of 29-year-old Damian Ferguson and the injury of two other persons in Middletown district, Irish Town in St Andrew.

Police said Kenrick Denton, 23, was charged for Ferguson’s murder following an identification parade. It was unclear, however, when he is to face the court.

Police said Denton was one of several suspects they were seeking in relation to the incident.