A U.S. cruise ship passenger was reportedly detained by police this week after a firearm was discovered in his backpack.
Speaking on the situation on Monday, Tourism Minister Ernest Hilaire said while he is not able to say much on the matter, from what he was told “he had the firearm in his his shoulder bag.”
According to the minister, in a sense, “it showed that the systems work because he had been to two previous ports and it had not been discovered, but of course it was discovered in Saint Lucia, and the police, in keeping with the protocols, dealt with the matter.”
“We want to make it very clear that there is no tolerance of persons carrying illegal firearms. In his case, he had a permit for it, but still what he did was not in accordance with our laws,” Hilaire said.
The visitor was reportedly carrying an expired license. According to reports, the firearm will be returned to the owner when the license has been renewed.