Two men were arrested at sea shortly after 11 a.m. last Thursday after police and customs officers on routine patrol found a firearm and ammunition on a boat they stopped and inspected at Frenchmans Cay, police said Saturday.
The officers, who were members of the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Marine Base Joint Task Force, arrested Richard Barronville, 32, of Long Bush, and Khalid Smith, 24, of the United States VI, according to the Police Information Office.
The pair were taken to the Road Town Police Station and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and unlawful possession of explosives, police said.
Police did not provide further information about the incident, but in a Saturday press release announcing the arrests they thanked the public for assisting with their efforts to eliminate illegal firearms from the territory.
Tips hotline
They also urged anyone with information about crimes to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline by calling 800-8477 (TIPS) locally or 284-800-8477 from overseas or by calling the police Intelligence Unit directly at 368-9339.
“All information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality,” the release stated.