By Latrishka Thomas
Several residents have had illegal firearms seized by police in recent days.
A number of individuals were arrested, charged, brought before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh and sentenced just this week.
On Monday, Hakeem Jeffery, who is said to be on bail for a similar offence, was sent to prison for a year after being found with a Smith and Wesson pistol, and seven 9mm lugers over the weekend.
At around 3am on Saturday, officers on patrol on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway saw a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction near Obeez Complex and signalled for the driver to stop.
They approached the defendant and asked to search the car and discovered a gun with a magazine of seven bullets under the mat.
The defendant was sent to prison since he violated his bail by committing this offence.
Ogden Peters also appeared in court on Monday but he received a non-custodial sentence.
At about 12pm on July 6, officers were on mobile patrol on Friars Hill Road when they observed a car travelling in the opposite direction.
The cops turned around, ended up chasing the vehicle, and finally caught up with him in Gambles where he was hiding in a preschool.
He was taken into custody, and it was discovered that he was driving an unlicensed vehicle with someone else’s registration number, without a valid licence and without insurance.
The following day, his home was searched and a revolver and a spent shell were found.
Peters told the court that he found the gun in a dressing table drawer at a garbage dump while searching for copper.
He then said that the traffic-related matters were a misunderstanding.
The defendant said that he put a number plate on his car which was being fixed and went to visit his child.
The defendant was fined $5,000 for the gun, but was reprimanded and discharged for the spent cartridge.
He was then fined $1,000 for each of the traffic offences. He has to pay the full $9,000 by November 14.
Meanwhile, Dequan Browne was fined $2,500 on Tuesday for having in his possession a modified flare gun and one bullet.
He got into a fight with someone on July 9 and left the scene and returned with the gun.
While both parties were scuffling, the handle of the gun broke causing it to fall from the waist of his pants.
The matter was then reported to the police and he was subsequently charged.