Eight illegal guns were seized yesterday following the fatal shooting of four men who the police say are part of a drug syndicate being operated between Jamaica and Haiti.

The men reportedly engaged the police in a shoot-out in Luana, St Elizabeth, during an operation devised to nab them.

Three of the four men are still unidentified. Dead is Duane Cotwell of Whitehouse, Westmoreland. A policeman was also shot and injured.

Reports are that police from the Trans National Crime and Narcotics Division, NIB/Kingfish, the police-military task force, and St Elizabeth police were on an operation in Luana when they signalled a Toyota Corolla to stop.

The driver complied but the occupants alighted and opened fire. The fire was returned and after the shoot-out, the four men, along with a policeman, were seen suffering from gunshot wounds.

The five were taken to hospital where the four men died and the policeman hospitalised.

guns seized

A Mack 10 sub-machine gun, a Mack 11 sub-machine gun and six 9mm pistols were recovered.

The police say the syndicate operates out of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Clarendon and St Catherine. A release issued by the Jamaica Constabulary Force yesterday said the syndicate was under surveillance for over a year.

"The men arrived in Jamaica late Sunday at the White House Beach in Westmoreland and were in the process of transporting guns and ammunition acquired in Haiti to Old Harbour when they were stopped by the police ..." the release said.