The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was unanimously found guilty yesterday of conspiring to import nine firearms and more than 500 rounds of ammunition into The Bahamas in 2024, but was narrowly found not guilty of importing the same weapons.

A nine-person jury unanimously convicted Ahmad Bain, 33, yesterday of conspiracy to import firearms and conspiracy to import ammunition before Justice Loren Klein.

However, jurors found Bain not guilty of nine counts of importation of firearms and four counts of importation of ammunition by a 5-4 verdict.

Prosecutors described the jury’s decision on those charges as “non-verdicts”, also known as hung verdicts. They said they would have to decide whether to seek a retrial on those charges.

For the charges on which Bain was convicted, prosecutors asked the court to order a probation report to assist with sentencing.

Bain and others conspired to import firearms and ammunition in May 2024.

Prosecutors alleged Bain and others imported nine firearms into the Lynden Pindling International Airport Freight Terminal on May 14, 2024. The weapons included a black Austrian Glock 17 9mm pistol, a black Austrian Glock 19 9mm pistol, a black DB9 9mm pistol, a black Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, a brown and black FN 5.7 pistol, a black Austrian Glock 26 9mm pistol, a grey and gold Canon 9mm pistol, a black Taurus Judge 410 pistol, and a silver and black Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol.

On the same day, Bain allegedly imported 100 .40 rounds, 184 9mm rounds, 20 5.7 rounds and five 410 rounds.

The boxes were shipped through Quantum Shipping.

Prosecutors alleged the weapons were concealed in shipping boxes and that some of the ammunition was found under fan blades.

Bain denied importing the guns in his police interview and claimed that he had never seen them before in his life.

While prosecutors acknowledged that Bain never possessed the weapons, they argued that he was always the intended recipient.

They said Bain and others used fake names to import the guns and relied on Bain’s relationship with a Quantum Shipping employee to carry out the alleged scheme.

The defence argued that the evidence against Bain was weak and challenged the chain of custody.

Bain maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

A visibly dejected Bain was allowed a moment with relatives in court before he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

He returns for sentencing on August 19.

Jacqueline Burrows and Danielle Capron prosecuted the case.

Devard Francis represented Bain.