Guns Stolen From Freight Train, Hidden In Tonnelle Ave. Storage Locker

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — Someone stole 100 handguns from a cargo freight train that runs through Hudson County, and was hiding the cache of weapons in a storage facility on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen.

That storage locker was raided some time in the past two weeks by NJ State Police, working with federal ATF agents and the NYPD.

A Union City woman, Claudine Kammo, 43, has been arrested. Police had been watching the storage locker, and watched as she had access to it. She is charged with multiple gun charges.

In addition, approximately 200 high-capacity magazines were also stolen and being kept in the locker; each gun had two magazines. High-capacity magazines allow a shooter to fire an unusually high number of bullets at a time, without needing to pause and reload.

They did not name the storage facility; all they would say is it is located on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen.

The guns had been stolen from a freight cargo train bound for Louisiana.

The guns were originally from a Vermont firearms importer and they were bound for a weapons wholesaler in Louisiana. NYPD detectives said they think the robbery occurred specifically while the guns were transferred from a tractor trailer to the freight train sometime in the past two weeks.

Someone knew the guns were being transferred, and stole them.

The investigation began March 16, when NYPD Intelligence detectives contacted NJ State Police detectives.

State Police, NYPD and officers with the NJ Attorney General raided that storage facility sometime in the past two weeks, and announced the raid March 25 in this press release: https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platk...

When the locker was raided, 97 Canik TP9 Elite SC 9 mm semi-automatic handguns and 194 high-capacity magazines were found, all still in their shipping boxes and inside cardboard crates. It is one of the largest illegal weapons seizures in New Jersey in recent years.

Stopping illegal guns being trafficked across state lines is a top priority for law enforcement.

“There is little doubt that the 100 guns seized in this investigation would be used for violence,” said NJ State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan.

Police also praised New Jersey and New York law enforcement for working together.

"Thanks to the quick action and teamwork of detectives in New Jersey and New York, we are able to announce a major victory," said NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin.

“The potential for these stolen guns to have fallen into the wrong hands was tremendous,” said NJ Criminal Justice Director Pearl Minato.