MINISTER of National Security Dr Horace Chang has admitted that premature reports of the massive gun find on Wednesday could have affected efforts by local and international law enforcement agencies to nab the masterminds.

But he is confident those behind the attempt to smuggle 74 rifles, 159 hand guns, and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition will be caught, and that confidence is shared by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

Addressing a special post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House Thursday afternoon, the prime minister and his deputy were full of praise for the law enforcement agencies involved in the seizure of the instruments of death and underscored the Administration’s investment in Jamaica’s security apparatus, which has led to this and several other major busts in recent time.

According to Holness, the low murder numbers the country has recorded since the start of this year — more than 40 per cent below last year — and the seizure of guns and ammunition have not happened by chance.

“It is the result of strategic and unprecedented investment in national security. Since 2016 this Administration has invested $87 billion in security. [This is] more than three times what was invested by previous Administration before 2016,” said Holness.

“So we are investing about $9 billion per year in security. This shows our intent. It is not just talking about security, it’s just not praying about security, it is actually doing the work. It is making the effort and making the allocations for security, and that is yielding great results,” added Holness.

The prime minister pointed out that a portion of the security investment was spent on Jamaica Customs Agency, which put that agency in a better position to detect contraband, such as the guns and ammunition entering the country.

He told the briefing that he is confident that local law enforcement agencies, working with their international partners, will track down those who were attempting to smuggle these weapons into Jamaica.

“We will find them and we will find you, and we are serious about this,” said Holness in a warning to people overseas, those in the island involved in the efforts to move the guns and ammunition into Jamaica, and others with criminal intent.

“We will meet your persistence with our commitment. We will strengthen our intention with even greater investment. We will overcome organised criminal enterprises in Jamaica. And what you are seeing happening is the Government developing the capacity, which we didn’t have before. We now have the capacity to overcome organised violence and organised criminal enterprise in Jamaica.

“So, effectively, what we have done is to change the risk/reward function — if you want to call it that — in crime in Jamaica. So for those people who are contemplating being involved in criminal activity, there is no reward in it any more,” declared Holness.

He charged that the price of a gun on the illegal market is going to skyrocket as the risk for trying to import an illegal gun into the island will increase, cutting off the supply to the criminal underworld.

Earlier, Chang had told the media briefing that the local security forces, working with the international partners, will go after masterminds behind the illegal guns trade.

“These organisers are worse than the shooters, they must be taken off the streets,” declared Chang, as he pointed to the deadly violence that could have been unleashed if the 233 guns had not been detected.

“The level of ammunition on the streets, with these weapons, is designed to create mayhem by a distorted, cruel mind, and that must be stopped,” added Chang.

He noted that so far this year the police have seized 695 firearms, which represent more than 80 per cent of the record amount seized last year.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake told the media briefing that, based on the stage of the investigation, details surrounding the seizure of the 233 guns cannot be released.

“Because the seizure is just the catalyst to a larger operation that you may not be privy to,” said Blake in response to a question about the origin and destination of the shipment of guns.

“These are trans-shipment activities, meaning that they affect more than one country, and so the investigation is a broad investigation and it needs time, we need space, and so sometimes just the mere communicating that information too early compromises the operation,” added Blake.