The Savanna-la-Mar police say they are depending on forensic technology to determine who owns the Remington Woodsmaster sniper rifle seized by cops in Westmoreland on Monday.

“We will do the necessary [work] by way of our forensic to see what can be found in respect of the weapon and where it takes us,” commanding officer for the Westmoreland Police Division, Superintendent Robert Gordon, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“We are at a place [where] we are not sure as to whether or not there is a network to which the weapon is connected. We are [in] early days yet and we are continuing our investigation,” Gordon said.

Yesterday, the police reported that about 8:10 pm Monday, a team of cops was on patrol along the main road in Llandilo Phase 1 community and noticed two men walking. One of the men was carrying a bag.

The police said the men, on seeing the patrol, fled, leaving the bag.

The bag was retrieved and the police said they found the rifle with 11 rounds of .308 ammunition inside.

The area was searched, but the men were not found.

Yesterday, Gordon said Westmoreland was not experiencing any spikes in criminal activities.

“We are much better off this year than we were last year, comparatively,” he said. “At this time we do not have any gang-related conflict.”

Police data show that for the period January 1 to February 2, 2021 Westmoreland recorded one murder, compared to five for the same period last year. Shootings for the same period numbered 11, compared to nine for the similar period in 2020.

Yesterday, Senior Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the constabulary’s Corporate Communications Unit, said the police are committed to apprehending criminals and gun traffickers.

“We will focus on our formal and informal ports,” Lindsay told the Observer. She also stated that the Marine Police will remain vigilant in their duty to protect the country and its waters.