Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath has called for stronger cooperation among CARICOM member states to trace illegal firearms and disrupt the networks that traffic them, warning that the weapons continue to fuel violent crime and gang activity across the region.
Monorath, who chairs CARICOM’s Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), spoke at the opening of its 29th meeting, held on November 10 and 11 in Paramaribo, Suriname. According to a statement the meeting brought together ministers responsible for national security and law enforcement, with the proliferation of illegal weapons emerging as a priority, CARICOM said.
“Across the Caribbean, firearms remain a significant enabler of violent crime and gang activity. Criminal groups are becoming more organised, more sophisticated and increasingly transnational,” Monorath said.
He said criminal networks were exploiting borders, ports and maritime routes to move weapons, drugs and other illicit goods. He urged member states to share intelligence more readily, trace the movement of illegal firearms and identify where they come from.
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