Courier Acquitted of Gun Smuggling

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A courier company owner has been acquitted of gun smuggling offenses. 

Omar Roberts, the owner of City Imports, was arrested on September 16, 2016 after eight guns and 318 rounds of ammunition were found hidden in two vacuum cleaner boxes in an entertainment center box.

The goods were shipped to New Providence from Fort Lauderdale, Florida through Island Imports.

Roberts was arrested soon after he went to Island Imports’ New Providence location to collect three packages that were shipped by a Marvin Cartwright.

The owner of Island Imports, Andrew Burrows, gave Roberts two vacuum cleaner boxes. Burrows said he could not locate the third package, and Roberts said he would return to collect it the next day.

The police stopped Cartwright’s car with the two unopened vacuum cleaner boxes after he left Island Imports.

Police returned to Island Imports without Roberts and collected the third package, which contained guns and ammunition. 

Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish that Roberts knew what was in the packages.

She said that the prosecution had failed to produce evidence of a link between Roberts and Cartwright who shipped the goods. As a result, the Chief magistrate acquitted and discharged Roberts.