At the Regional Security System (RSS) Council of Ministers Meeting on Wednesday, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell called illicit firearm imports a plague which has become a regional issue.
Mitchell, Head of the RSS Council of Ministers, highlighted that the RSS had been sent to Saint Lucia to help restore peace and tranquility to a region that had seen a rise in gun-related crime.
The prime minister said the Region is fighting the smuggling of weapons and ammunition from outside the Caribbean, where these dangerous instruments are made.
“The easy availability to weapons in our nations is one of the greatest risks we presently face and the many criminal activities created from the use of illicit firearms have far-reaching detrimental repercussions on our people and societies.”
Mitchell highlighted that upheaval and security uncertainty make economic and social progress difficult.
He said efforts must continue to make the security environment of Area nations conducive to investment and key economic activities that fuel growth.
The Region must also tighten border protection and reduce demand for illicit guns, especially among youth.
Mitchell said the RSS is going beyond jail and penalties to impoverish offenders by taking away their heartbeat—money, profit, and assets—from their illicit operations.