THE Organization of American States (OAS),yesterday, donated two firearms marking machines to the Government of Jamaica to be used by the Ministry of National Security to combat the illicit trafficking of firearms.
This initiative, implemented in 23 countries of the region, forms part of the efforts outlined by the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, and defines the organization as a strategic actor in the fight against crime.
The machine was presented during a ceremony held at the forensic laboratory of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in Kingston, and was attended by the Chief Technical Director of the Ministry, Vivian Brown and the OAS Representative in Jamaica, Joan Neil.
The donation – funded by the government of the United States – is part of the programme ‘Promoting Firearms Marking in Latin America and the Caribbean’, following the Inter-American Convention against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), and seeks to strengthen national capabilities on matters of firearms marking.