Cops hold ardent cricket fan with Australian gear

OFFICERS from the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID), have arrested a Chaguanas man, allegedly with equipment belonging to the Australian cricket team, police sources told Sunday Newsday yesterday.

The 43-year-old man was held in his Toyota car on the Old Southern Main Road, Chaguanas, around 10 pm Friday. The investigations are being carried out by acting Insp Michael Modeste, who was appointed lead investigator by Commissioner of Police, Hilton Guy, following the disappearance of the items on May 26. Police sources described the man as an ardent cricket fan, and said he was held with “quite a few pieces” of the missing cricket items. He reportedly told the police that the items belonged to him. Up to late evening police were still interrogating the man, who is expected to be charged with either unlawful possession of stolen items or larceny of the items.  He is to appear in a Chaguanas court tomorrow.

More than 35 pieces of equipment including bats, shirts, cricket shoes, designer sunglasses and other training equipment, belonging to ten members of the Australian squad were discovered missing after the team boarded a LIAT flight for Grenada, where they were going to play two One-Day Internationals on May 30 and June 2.  Police said the equipment disappeared somewhere between the Queen’s Park Oval and Hilton Trinidad. President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) Alloy Lequay told the media that the LIAT flight the Australians were on could not accommodate all the equipment, and as a consequence, some had to be left behind. Lequay said he was informed of the incident by Australian manager Steve Bernard. The TTCBC president also told the media that the May 26 loss was not the first the touring team suffered in this country. He said Bernard also reported missing items after his team made their way to Barbados following the April 19-23 Second Test match at the Queen’s Park Oval. Lequay also told the media that the matter is of serious concern, especially given this country expressed desire to play a major role in the hosting of the 2007 World Cup.