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In a week marked by large seizures of guns, ammunition, and exotic animals, Acting Senior Superintendent Patrae Rowe, head of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID), is warning that criminal networks are not just evolving, they're embedding.

"Criminals come in all forms and shapes, and they are associated with entities that the Jamaican people sometimes trust," Rowe told THE STAR. "Your neighbours may seem like hard-working, everyday Jamaican people, but they are involved in activities that are questionable. Sometimes criminals don't look like criminals."

On Monday, police reportedly recovered more than 3,900 rounds of ammunition, exotic parrots, and uncustomed goods in Westmoreland during an operation in Whitehouse. Just days earlier, more than 250 illegal guns were seized in two operations in Kingston. But for Rowe, the real concern lies in how these items are entering the country and who is behind them.

"We've seized guns not only at the shipping port," he said. "Last week, FNID made a major find within a residential community that would normally be deemed safe."

He explained that the Jamaica Constabulary Force has ramped up its investment in technology, intelligence gathering, and the upskilling of its officers to track the methods smugglers are now using.

"Criminals with criminal intent are designing new ways to get prohibited weapons into Jamaica," he said. "But we are a superior law enforcement agency. We are equipped to locate, detect, and seize these items wherever they are."

Without naming specific ports or locations, Rowe said both FNID and the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch are operating with islandwide reach, targeting everything from coastal drop-offs to seemingly legitimate businesses being used as fronts.

"We are building a sophisticated, focused deterrence around criminal networks, whether it's organised crime, transnational smuggling, or gangs trading drugs for guns," he said. "We have a very good idea of what is happening. We're isolating key players, and we're going after them."

He noted that one of the more dangerous developments is how criminals are increasingly hiding behind operations that appear lawful.

"Some of these people are giving the appearance of legitimacy to cover criminal behaviour," he said. "We're making that distinction. We have to." Rowe also emphasised that while the seizures may sound like significant wins, they often represent only the surface of a much more structured system.

"We're not just finding contraband, we're finding the systems that allow it to move," he said. "And we are shutting those down."

He called on the public to remain alert and cooperative, stressing that tips from citizens continue to be critical to disrupting illegal operations.

"We are finding every means that criminals are using to generate income or expand their networks," he said. "At a reasonable time, the country will hear more from the High Command. But for now, our job is clear: find the guns, find the drugs, seize the ammunition, and arrest the masterminds."