PHILIPSBURG:--- Several persons within the community are now asking questions after reading an article in one of the newspapers that states the man that was held on Monday night with a high power automatic rifle is related to a politician.
SMN News reporter was bombarded with questions as to who the politician is and why was this person training to use a high power rifle Monday night on Guana Bay beach.
First and foremost, the 29 year old man identified as D.R. is not related to any politician. However, he does have a child with the sister of a well-known politician that is the leader of a political party. The politician in question was over the harbor for a number of years, until it has been said by several persons that the harbor is St. Maarten's second government.
The rifle in question is not the first found on St. Maarten in possession of several prominent residents. Not long ago the son in law of a Member of Parliament was arrested for being in possession of a high power weapon. While police suppressed the information on that case, they quickly released the photo of the high powered automatic rifle they found in a silver color truck Monday night.
Relatives of the suspect are also not happy that the newspaper in question linked the suspect to a politician and not to them who are also well known people on St. Maarten.
It was said some months ago that certain persons that were in government were bringing in firearms through the harbor and are selling them to politicians and other residents that need to protect themselves and their families. While all of this was said, to date no one has been prosecuted for the importation of illegal firearms and there is no known investigation taking place to ascertain where these firearms are coming from.
