Tynia Brown & Shenia Roberts
Journal Staff Writers

The issue of illegal firearms being smuggled into The Bahamas has been a longstanding concern
for authorities. According to Minister of National Security, Wayne Munroe, the origin of these
firearms has been known for some time. In response to this ongoing problem, the Davis
administration has established a specialized anti-gang and firearms unit, which comprises
officers from various agencies including the defense force, police force, customs, immigration,
as well as officials from U.S. Homeland Security and the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
agencies.
“The fact of where the weapons found illegally here originated sometime, that is why in the
police headquarters now you have the Anti-Gang and Firearms Unit that contains members from
every one of the armed forces,” Munroe explained.
This collaborative effort focuses on tracking firearms that are found in The Bahamas and
investigating their origins. Munroe highlighted a specific case where a firearm recovered on
Bahamian streets was traced back to a purchase made in the U.S. less than 72 hours prior to its
recovery. This example underscores the close ties between Bahamian and U.S. law enforcement
agencies in addressing the flow of illegal firearms into the country.
In addition to firearms trafficking, authorities are also grappling with creative methods used by
criminals to smuggle weapons into the country. Reports have indicated that firearms have been
concealed in items like rice and cereal or hidden in clothing. The Bahamas Customs Department
plays a crucial role in the interception of such shipments, with officers utilizing advanced
detection techniques, including sniffer dogs trained to identify guns and drugs. Munroe stressed
that this intelligence-driven operation continues to evolve in response to the changing tactics of
criminals.
Prime Minister Phillip Brave Davis and Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe both
commented on the findings of a recent report by the United States Government Accountability
Office on gun trafficking from the USA. Both Davis and Munroe expressed that they were not
surprised by the findings and are aware that the issue of gun trafficking poses a serious threat to
our national security.
According to the US GAO, from 2018 to 2022 the study found that 73% of guns recovered in the
Caribbean could be traced back to the United States. In The Bahamas, 85% of recovered and
traced firearms originated from U.S.A. retail purchases, giving us the highest percentage in the
region. When asked how he felt about this finding Prime Minister Davis said “Their report
confirms what we believe, and I’ve always on the world stage, been speaking about the fact that
the United States’ right to bear arms cannot translate or mean right to traffic in arms.”

Furthermore, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also commented sharing the same
sentiments in an interview with press outside the House of Assembly on Wednesday. During this
time Munroe explained that the 85% precent is the approximate amount for that time but he
believes the percentage can be much larger.
Additionally, the reports also stated that firearms are trafficked “most commonly through
shipping transport and can be concealed in large items, such as automobiles and televisions, or
broken into components and hidden in household items, such as bags of rice or cereal boxes, and
packaged in breakbulk cargo.”
In response to this finding Prime Minister Davis explained, “it is alarming.” He went on tosay
that “most of our violent crimes are perpetrated by guns which we don’t manufacture … [and
have] been illegally brought into the country and we are attempting to find ways to continue to
stem that tide.” He specified that although the process has not been perfect so far progress has
been made.
While Officials remains concerned about the influx of firearms from the U.S.A. Prime Minister
Davis says the strong collaboration between both governments has already proven successful and
emphasized that both stakeholders will continue to strategize in effort to combat this issue.
Minister Munroe emphasized that the government will continue to collaborate with us officials
and other local agencies to create innovative ways to prevent weapons from entering our country
illegally.