POLICE yesterday vowed to go after those responsible for the importation of a dozen high-powered weapons and 720 rounds of ammunition, which were seized at Port Bustamante on Monday morning.

Jamaica Constabulary Force spokesman Inspector Steve Brown said intense investigations were underway by the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division (TNDC) and overseas police to nab the persons responsible for sending the guns and the intended recipients.

“We will get to the masterminds, the important people, those who were responsible for sending the guns here, those who were to receive the guns, but the most important thing that we are trying to do is to prevent these guns from getting into the hands of criminals,” Brown told reporters during a press briefing at the TNDC headquarters on Spanish Town Road in Kingston, yesterday.

Two women and a man are now in police custody and are being interrogated in connection with the find.

The women were picked up at an address in Portmore, St Catherine and the man was held at Port Bustamante on Monday.

The guns — a .44 Magnum pistol, two AK 47 assault rifles, two 9mm Desert Eagle pistols, a Mack 11 submachine gun, a Glock 27 pistol, 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol, a 9mm Taurus pistol, a Luger P95 9mm pistol, a Sites Spec TRE HC pistol and a Keltek submachine gun — along with 519 9mm, 50 .40, 51 .45, 51 .44, 32 .50, 6 .357, one .223 and 10 .380 rounds of ammunition and a telescopic sight were found after customs officials noticed irregularities in a container at the Adolf Levy Warehouse at Port Bustamante.

The cargo was referred to the Contraband Enforcement Team, who collared a Spanish Town-based importer and searched the container in his presence. The arsenal of weapons were found inside a compressor.

Further investigations revealed that the importer was not the ultimate consignee for the guns and ammunition, and investigators then nabbed the three persons.

The guns were shipped from New York and was reportedly being sent to a St Catherine-based criminal organisation.

Yesterday, acting police commissioner Owen Ellington praised the lawmen for their efforts in getting the contraband.

“This case is very important and the conduct of the operation demonstrates that our police understand the significance of what they are sworn to do. The follow-up work was impressive and I am very pleased,” Ellington said.