KINGSTON, Jamaica– What started as a police operation searching for several men listed as individuals of interest resulted in the seizure of an illegal high-powered weapon on Ramsay Road, Kingston 13, on Thursday.

The weapon, a black Hi-Point 9mm rifle, was found while police conducted special enquiries and intelligence-driven operations in response to ongoing gang conflicts resulting in murders and shootings in the Kingston 13 area.

The Kingston Western police have seen a recent flare-up of violence in the Ramsay and Raphael Road communities and sections of Maxfield Avenue.

As a result of the violence, the police, on Tuesday, listed 17 men as persons of interest who they believed could assist with their investigations into the flare-up.

Three of those persons of interest, Chadayne ‘Neco’ Hinds, Kemar Parrie’ Fraser and Kevin ‘Shot Head’ Harvey, were the main targets of Thursday’s ’s operation.

The suspects were not held. However, during a search of premises on Ramsey Road, the rifle was found concealed between sheets of zinc inside a room of an unfinished concrete house.

No arrest was made in connection with the firearm seizure, the police said.

Apart from searching for the individuals of interest, Thursday’s operations also included Crime Scene Reassessment, where previously identified murder and shooting locations were revisited for further investigative review.

There was also witness canvassing, where enquiries were conducted to identify and interview potential witnesses.

-David Dunkley