Senior Superintendent of Police George Quallo of the Half-Way Tree police, displays five guns and several assorted rounds of ammunition that were seized during two separate operations in Half-Way Tree, St. Andrew, yesterday morning. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Police recovered several guns and about $16 million worth of ganja in separate operations across the Corporate Area on the weekend.

Five more guns are off the streets of Kingston today as the Half-Way Tree police made two separate seizures in Half-Way Tree yesterday morning.

Police recovered two pistols, a .357 magnum, one .38 revolver, a Remington shotgun and 37 live rounds of ammunition.

An AK-47 rifle with 14 live rounds was also seized in another operation last week in August Town.

No arrests have been made in connection with any of the recovered weapons.

Police reports are that, at 12:15 yesterday morning, an Isuzu sports utility vehicle was seen travelling along Hope Road to Half-Way Tree when the police signalled the driver to stop.

Driver sped away

The driver disobeyed police command and sped away. The vehicle was intercepted by police at Hagley Park Road. The men ran from the vehicle. The vehicle was searched and the two pistols were found.

Another search in daylight followed in the same area and a shotgun, along with a .38 revolver and .357 magnum, was found.

Superintendent in charge of the Half-Way Tree police, Senior Superintendent George Quallo, said it was part of the mandate of police in that area to increase policing in 'hot spots'.

Significant recovery

"I think this (recovery) is significant. One or more weapon off the street is one or more life saved," he said.

Meanwhile, the marine police also seized a canister of ganja valued at $16 million at Gordon Cay in the vicinity of the Kingston Harbour about 10:15 Sunday night.

"We intercepted some fishermen down in Gordon Cay, and they found them with one of the canisters (containing compressed ganja) entangled in the net," said Superintendent Marlon Dietrich, of the Marine Police Division.

The men were taken into custody and questioned, but denied knowledge of the canister and its contents. They are to be charged with fishing in a restricted area and fishing without a licence.