JCF collaborating with Cayman after gun seized in British territory linked to 5 murders in Jamaica
The top brass of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) could not say definitively Tuesday which murders were committed by a gun seized by the Cayman Islands police that is said to be linked to five homicides in Jamaica.
In a bombshell CMC report on the weekend, Cayman Islands’ Police Commissioner, Derek Byrne said members of the police force there recently seized a firearm that was reportedly used in at least five murders in Jamaica.
Speaking with reporters, Byrne, who will be leaving the post in less than a week, said one of the many enhancements he has presided over during the last seven years was the development of ballistics, and based on this, the territory is now a regional hub for firearms forensics.
Since he took over the reins of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Byrne has presided over the most significant budgets in its history, adding that the enhancements of the service led to significant successes, such as connecting the gun police seized with the five killings in Jamaica dating back to 2019.
He said the weapon, which somehow made its way to the Cayman Islands, is now part of a major investigation.
Indicating that the relationship with Jamaica remains very important, the police commissioner said many of the guns found in the Cayman Islands have Jamaican origins. He also highlighted Jamaica as a source for most marijuana and other drug shipments.
On Tuesday, during the JCF’s Quarterly Media Briefing, Jamaica’s Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson was asked whether the JCF was aware of the gun, the homicides linked to it and who may be responsible.
In a round-about answer, Anderson said: “We have a comprehensive tracking of firearms at our ballistics lab and we collaborate across the Caribbean (and wider) on identifying guns that are used on various scenes. We do it locally, and we have tied some firearms to even as much as 20-plus murders or scenes of shootings. So (with) this one, it’s early days yet but we’re collaborating with Cayman on this and we’ll see where it leads us”.
