Saint Lucia Criminal Gangs Buying Guns With Money From Human Trafficking

Deputy Police Commissioner Wayne Charlery has told the launch of a human trafficking campaign here that Saint Lucia criminal gangs, of which there are many, are thriving on trafficking firearms, narcotics, and humans. “The challenge is up before us to offset what is happening in Saint Lucia. We must take a hard, long look at human trafficking as used by the gangs to make the money to buy the guns to kill our people,” he observed. Charlery recalled that for some 20 years, the local crime situation has been very violent, with homicides skyrocketing every year. The senior cop told his audience that criminal gangs were at the heart of violent crimes. And he explained that recent events in Vieux Fort, where there was a deadly gun violence spike, illustrated how volatile and ugly the situation could become. “They have thrived with firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and of course, human trafficking,” Charlery said regarding the criminal gangs. “So we are endeavouring to do certain things when it comes to the narcotics and the firearms – they’re not people,” he explained. “The gangs are involved in human trafficking. This is how they make their money. We need to develop and implement...