PHILIPSBURG:--- Management of the Pointe Blanche Prison requested more assistance from KPSM of Friday. According to information reaching SMN News, the prison director and his personnel informed police that they got information from some inmates that there are more illegal firearms inside the prison.
KPSM which is already short of staff and busy investigating six murders put a team together on Friday morning along with the K-9 dogs and began searching the prison to see if they could locate the illegal firearms.
On Thursday afternoon police was called to the Pointe Blanche prison when a fight broke out leaving one person seriously injured, during that fracas the management of the prison heard that there were illegal firearms inside the prison. Police rushed to the prison and began searching the entire house of detention with the help of the police K-9 dogs. SMN News learnt that the K-9 dogs are the ones that found two illegal firearm inside the prison.
The discovery of firearms inside the prison has created some uproar on the island and even in the neighboring islands. Several persons are now questioning the abilities of the prison director Edward Rohan and his staff. Many want to know how these weapons passed through the scanner and screening at the prison. Some are now saying that the firearms were taken inside the prison by the prison personnel. About two years ago a prison guard who was working at the prison for years was arrested when the prison security found over one kilo of illegal drugs strapped on her back.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said on Friday that the team of officers were still busy searching the prison facility on Friday and as soon as he gets information from them as to what they found he will inform the media.
Police continues search in the Point Blanche Prison.
In connection with the ongoing investigation of the Point Blanche concerning the attempted murder of one inmate and the serious ill-treatment with a makeshift machete of another, leaving him in critical condition in the ICU of the Sint Maarten Medical Center, another request was made by the director of the Point Blanche prison to carry out a follow up search of the facilities. On Friday September 12th, 2014, the Director of the Point Blanche Prison received information from inside the prison that the other cell-blocks within the facilities should be searched for more illegal weapons and drugs. If this was not done other very serious confrontations and vicious attacks between inmates would occur. Based on this information a large police search team including the K-9 unit and members of the VKS was put together and headed to the prison at around 10:00am. At the Point Blanche Prison they joined the prison search team. This very intense search lasted until 5:00pm on Friday. During the search numerous home made weapons, such as cleavers, machetes, knives or shanks, cellular telephones and many other illegal items including female G-string underwear were removed from the cells. No guns or ammunition were found during this search.
KPSM Press Release