A number of AJAS cargo handlers were arrested and are being interrogated as intense investigations are being carried out by the Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) of the Jamaica Customs Department, into two major seizures of guns and ammunition at both the Queen’s Warehouse, Spanish Town Road and at the Sangster International Airport (SIA), Montego Bay this week.

On Thursday, Dec 10 a plastic tub declared to be 44lbs, containing a cell phone, 1 DVD player, 7 Pants and 6 shoes at the Sangster International Airport onboard a UPS Cargo aircraft, showed evidence of tampering. The shipment was not in keeping with the 44lbs manifested and upon a search, rounds of ammunition were revealed. The Contraband Enforcement Team launched a search of the ramp and surrounding warehouses, lockers and maintenance areas.

The search of the AJAS Cargo Warehouse revealed one .45 Haskel pistol high power rifle, one '999' model rifle high power, one intratek 9mm ruga weapon, fifty (50) rounds 9mm ruger, fifty (50) PMC 0.45 rounds, forty (40) 0.223 calibre wolf rounds, fifty (50) 0.40 ruger rounds hidden in some jeans pants and old t-shirts in a corner of the warehouse. The investigation is actively being pursued to uncover all the airport employees involved in this shipment from San Antonio, Texas, USA and addressed to a fraudulent St. James address.

On Tuesday, December 8 at approximately 10:30am, members of the Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) were contacted by Customs officials located at the Queen's Warehouse, Spanish Town Road where two (2) Winchester rifles bearing serial nos. 27043 and 3560617 were found. The rifles were in a 40' container consigned to a female of a Green Island, Hanover address. A thorough search of the warehouse was conducted but no additional guns or ammunition(s) were found.