By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

Pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A Businessman claimed that he had no idea there were guns in a box shipped by his company in 2023 as his firearm importation trial continued last week.

Rolando Thomas, 44,  gave testimony before Magistrate Lennox Coleby.

Thomas  allegedly imported ten firearms and over 100 rounds of ammunition through a courier company in June 2023 and was charged with 14 firearm-related offences. 

Police reportedly executed a search warrant on Secure Import Services off Tonique Williams Darling Highway shortly before 3pm on June 20, 2023. Thomas and others were arrested after they were allegedly found with 10 unlicensed firearms.

During the same raid, police recovered 92 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 12 rounds of .40mm ammunition.

Thomas faced ten counts of importation of firearms, possession of firearms with the intent to supply, conspiracy to import firearms, conspiracy to import ammunition, and possession of ammunition with intent to supply.

Thomas said that he doesn’t think the weapons found in a box were inspected. He explained that they were transported to Bahamas by Swift Courier Company and they’d have been stopped if Swift searched the box.  He stated that Swift in the US handled the shipping for his company, Secure Imports on Gladstone Road.

Thomas could not say where the box was prepared and packed. Thomas claimed that he only became aware of its contents when police searched the box and an officer shouted “gun” as he pulled a weapon out. He claimed that the guns were hidden beneath snack and clothing items in a black and gray bag 

He maintained that the guns did not belong to him and that he’d never seen them before.

Thomas said that the brown box was sealed with tape to the top and bottom when his company received it. He added that it had a Home Depot label and had the names Ryan Neely and Glinda Williams on it. 

Thomas said that Neely was a customer who shipped clothes to family here from US. He went on to say that Neely  was currently being detained by ICE in Texas.

Thomas claimed that Neely’s child’s mother picked up the box. He said that Glinda Williams was that woman’s mother. 

Thomas claimed he assisted police with their investigation by giving them information on the customer.  He added that he gave them his contact information.

He said that he was in custody for five days, after he was arrested and questioned at the Central Detective Unit.

Bjorn Ferguson represented the defendant, while Assistant Superintendent Lincoln McKenzie was the prosecutor.