NJ woman had 100 stolen new handguns in storage unit, state says
🚨 State police found 100 stolen handguns in a Hudson County storage unit
🚨 Authorities believe the guns would have been sold on the street
🚨 The guns were being shipped from Vermont to Louisiana
NORTH BERGEN — A Union City woman is charged after police recovered 100 brand-new handguns stolen from a freight train headed to Louisiana.
Authorities said that 97 of the guns were found on March 17 in a storage facility on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen. Each of the firearms was packed with two magazines with capacities greater than 10 rounds, which are considered large capacity magazines and illegal in New Jersey.
The Canik TP9 Elite SC 9 mm handguns were still in their shipping boxes and packed into cardboard boxes, according to Attorney General Matthew Platkin. The other three guns and their magazines were found elsewhere.
Claudine Kammo, 43, is accused of having the keys to the storage unit. She is charged with second-degree unlawful possession of firearms, third-degree receiving stolen property, fourth-degree violation of gun permitting regulations, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of large capacity magazines.
According to Platkin, the New York Police Department contacted state police on March 16 about a stolen shipment of guns. The handguns were being transported from Vermont to a Louisiana wholesaler.
The guns were taken in Hudson County as they were being transferred from a tractor trailer to a freight train, Platkin said.
“Keeping illegal weapons out of our communities to combat gun violence is a law enforcement strategy that transcends state lines,” Platkin said. “Thanks to the quick action and teamwork of detectives in New Jersey and New York, today we are able to announce a major victory in our shared mission to keep our residents safe.”
Kammo was arrested earlier this year by the Secaucus police. She was accused of stealing more than $15,000 worth of clothing in January and charged with theft, then released at the time.
Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com
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