(Trinidad Guardian) The 70,000 rounds of ammunition that the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) had purchased and is now unaccounted for poses a very serious and grave threat to citizens, visitors and national security, says National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.
The minister indicated this in the Senate on Thursday replying to Indepen-dent Senator Dr Paul Richards who raised questions following Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s statement on the findings so far from the audit of the SSA. Rowley addressed Parliament on the matter on Wednesday.
Among findings, Dr Rowley detailed the intelligence agency’s increased purchase of ammunition from 8,000 rounds in 2017 to 100,000 rounds by 2022. Also, its increased stock of firearms from 24 pistols/revolvers in 2016 to 103, of different types and calibre, including military grade by 2022.
The audit discovered that SSA’s former director of initiated procurement of high-grade military bolt-action sniper rifles, complete with the most modern silencers and other accessories .
This is the subject of continuing audit and police investigation.
Yesterday in the Senate, Richards asked what strategies have been implemented to mitigate the potential carnage that can result from 70,000 rounds of missing ammunition ending up in the hands of criminals.
Hinds said, “Every single round of ammunition that finds itself in unlawful hands with the prospects for misuse, abuse, poses a very serious threat. So obviously given the Prime Minister’s observation that 70,000 rounds of ammunition are yet unrecorded and unaccounted for, this obviously poses a grave and very serious threat to citizens and visitors and of course to national security.
“That’s the reason why accountability in the business of firearms and ammunition–their movement and use–is so critical. So as the Prime Minister indicated, the police is pursuing this particular matter meticulously and hopefully to a very successful finding or end.”