A 14-year-old on Virgin Gorda was arrested and charged after police found a “suspected” AK-47 assault rifle and a magazine containing 18 rounds of ammunition during one of several search operations carried out over the weekend, they said.
The teenager’s arrest came on Friday, when officers of the Virgin Gorda Police Station responded to a report concerning a possible firearm at a local residence, according to the Police Information Office.
“Upon arrival, the officers were met by the father of the minor involved and granted permission to conduct a search,” the PIO stated in a press release.
During the search, police said, they found the suspected firearm and ammunition wrapped in a green towel.
The teenager was subsequently charged with unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm and unlawful possession of explosives. He was granted bail to appear at the Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 3.
Police did not explain why they were unable to confirm whether the “suspected” AK-47 was an actual AK-47.
Drug bust
Later that day on Tortola, officers conducting a search operation after 8 p.m. in Scatliffe Alley found various controlled drugs hidden in an old refrigerator: 357.1 grams of suspected marijuana; 27.2 grams of suspected cocaine; and 141.7 grams of suspected crack cocaine, they said.
The next day in Cappoons Bay, police conducting another search found an empty extended firearm magazine in an old discarded deep freezer located outside an “establishment,” according to the PIO, which did not identify the “establishment.”
Officers also conducted about 20 other searches of people and vehicles, police said.
“These successful operations underscore our commitment to maintaining public safety and combating illegal activities in our community,” said acting Police Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool.