ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES - BLUE LANTERN ON

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001414 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/DTCC FOR BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KOMC ETTC BB XL SUBJECT: ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES - BLUE LANTERN ON LICENSE 05-050045852 FOR SECURICO, LTD. REF: 07 STATE 97639 ¶1. (U) Post was unable to conduct a site visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines but gathered information on the end user via telephone and email. Post did not uncover any derogatory information on Securico, Inc. Securico appears to be a legitimate firearms retailer. ¶2. (U) Securico, Inc. is the holding company for St. Vincent and the Grenadines' largest private security firm, Guardsman (SVG) Limited. Guardsman is owned by Albert Porter and Keith Howard and was founded in 2002. Guardsman's headquarters is located in the Methodist Manse Building in downtown Kingstown, St. Vincent. ¶3. (U) Securico's headquarters are located in Villa Flat, Calliaqua, St. Vincent, very close to the Calliaqua police station. As opposed to Guardsmen, which provides firearms and security personnel to private companies, Securico's main customers are the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. Customers also include police officers who wish to purchase firearms for personal use. All customers who buy firearms are screened and approved by the Commissioner of Police of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. Customers also need to be approved for a license to purchase a particular caliber weapon and a limited amount of ammunition. Securico, Inc. records the sale of all firearms and ammunition. In addition, Securico has a secure fire-proof vault. Regular customers are generally not allowed to visit this area unless they possess a firearms license. The facility also features 24-hour security guards. ¶4. (U) Securico, Inc. understands the restrictions on the United States Munitions List (USML) articles. Finally, Securico, Inc. is in possession of the proper firearms license and import permit for the items listed on their application. HOWARD