After Port-de-Paix recently, the Haitian National Police announced this Thursday, July 14, 2022, that they have made a new discovery of firearms and ammunition during a search conducted the day before in containers at Caribean Port Service (CPS), in La Saline, downtown Port-au-Prince. Several large caliber firearms, a large quantity of ammunition and magazines were found and seized by agents of the Bureau de Lutte contre le Trafic des Stupiants (BLTS) and the Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ).
“The partial balance of the search of one of the seized containers reveals so far a quantity of 18 weapons of war, 4 pistols of 9mm caliber, 14646 cartridges, 140 magazines, a sight and USD $50000 in forgeries. The count continues…” wrote the General Administration of Customs on its twitter account.
The government commissioner of Port-au-Prince, Me Jacques Lafontant, who was on site, accompanied by a justice of the peace and customs officers, said that these objects were intended for the Episcopal Church of Haiti, citing Mrs. Gina J. L Rolls, who was to receive the shipment on behalf of the ecclesiastical institution. Jacques Lafontant took the opportunity to express his determination to track down arms traffickers, regardless of their rank or affiliation.
It should be noted that the religious entity, member of Religions for Peace, denied, via a note, the origin and knowledge of this shipment of weapons of war, ammunition and magazines.
The head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Port-au-Prince jurisdiction has indicated that the operation will continue tomorrow, Friday. Other containers will be analyzed.
The police institution announced that it will give more details in the coming hours.
25,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers of weapons were seized in Port-de-Paix during the night of July 12 to 13, 2022, aboard a bus that was preparing to travel to Port-au-Prince. Churchill Petit-Frère, who was providing the transportation along with a driver, was arrested. The driver managed to flee the scene.
On July 1, the police and judicial authorities of the city of Port-de-Paix informed that they had carried out a large-scale operation at the city’s wharf, which resulted in the confiscation of 120,000 cartridges, divided into 157 boxes, of which 114,000 were of 5.56 caliber, 2,000 were of 9mm caliber, and 4,000 were of 7.62 caliber, in contrast to the figures provided by Mr. Michelet Virgile, the Government Commissioner at the time, who reported the day before the seizure of 128 boxes containing more than 700 rounds.
The head of the Port-de-Paix court ordered the release, five (5) days later, of Jonas Georges and Fritz Jean Relus, who were arrested for allegedly trafficking arms and ammunition as part of this scandal. In reaction, the Ministry of Justice dismissed Mr. Michelet Virgile for serious administrative errors and replaced him with Mr. Bertin Vital as head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Mr. Michelet Virgile was subsequently arrested on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, by agents of the Bureau of Financial and Economic Affairs (BAFE). He was transferred to the capital to answer questions from the judicial and financial police.
A wanted notice has been issued against the deputy director of legal affairs of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Fritz Aubourg, who is allegedly linked to this case, it was learned.
Other people are actively sought by the police. This is the case of Marie Guirlène Estimable, Wilfrid Estimable and Eddy Lafrance, the main suspects in this case in Port-de-Paix.
Freshly installed as Director General of Customs to replace Romel Bell, accused of corruption and arms trafficking, Julcène Edouard is already marking his territory.
The former deputy director of customs has stated that he has set to work to provide appropriate responses despite the fact that he is aware of the weakness of the general customs administration in the fight against the importation of arms and ammunition.
The new incumbent of the AGD organized on July 6-11 and 12, 2022, training sessions for the executives of the AGD, important members operating in the customs sector in order to make the institution more efficient. Meetings of the same nature will be held with economic operators, said Julcène Edouard. Its primary objective is to strengthen customs controls. He indicates that meetings are also planned with economic operators.
Julcène Edouard also intends to mobilize the employees of the AGD on the application of the government’s roadmap which includes economic missions of protection and taxation.
Meanwhile, the gang war continues in Cité Soleil. At least 89 deaths have been recorded, 16 missing, 74 injured and thousands of refugees, according to a report by the National Human Rights Defense Network released Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
The population for its part continues to be victimized daily by the fury of armed gangs.