100 Stolen Handguns Seized, Hudson County Woman Charged With Firearms Possession: Police

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey and New York officials announced Saturday that they'd seized 100 stolen handguns and 200 high-capacity ammunition magazines that "would have been used for violence and intimidation" in the area — most found in a Hudson County storage locker.

As a result, officials arrested Claudine Kammo, 43, of Union City, "who had access to and control of the storage unit," they said.

The investigation began after authorities were notified on March 16 that the shipment of guns and ammunition was believed to have been stolen during transfer from tractor trailer to rail car in Hudson County, said the office of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.

The guns were heading from a Vermont firearms importer to a Louisiana weapons wholesaler, said Platkin's office.

The Attorney general's Office, the New Jersey State Police, and the New York Police Department investigated. "Working together, detectives from both states were able to determine that the stolen weapons were being kept in a storage facility on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, NJ," said a release from Platkin's office.

Kammo was 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.

"The recovery of the brand new 9 mm semi-automatic handguns – each equipped with two LCMs [large capacity magazines] – is one of the largest weapons seizures in New Jersey in recent years," Platkin's office said. "The seizure of the stolen cargo, and the arrest of the individual in possession of it, is the result of a fast-moving interstate action between the NJSP Weapons Trafficking North Unit (WTNU) and the NYPD Intelligence Division (Intelligence). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also provided assistance."

Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said,“There is little doubt that the 100 guns seized in this investigation would be used for violence and intimidation, and they have no place in communities on either side of the Hudson River."

New Jersey law prohibits the possession and sale of firearm magazines that are capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, officials said.

"Large capacity magaznes allow a shooter to fire an unusually high number of bullets at a time, without requiring the shooter to even pause and reload" they said.

“The potential for these stolen guns to have fallen into the wrong hands was tremendous and I thank the New Jersey State Police and New York Police Department detectives who worked quickly to prevent that from happening,” said Director Pearl Minato of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

“Our city and region are safer today because of the collaborative effort and exceptional dedication of everyone involved in this investigation,” said New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “This case represents the NYPD’s steadfast work to protect those we serve by stopping the flow of illegal firearms and eradicating gun violence.”