Cops issue warrants for five

Warrants were issued yesterday for five members of a gang including two women, who were responsible for the larceny of $1.2 million in electronics from the G&L warehouse in Charlieville on Thursday.

Police investigators told Newsday that based on the description of the suspects, they have issued warrants for members of the gang who are heavily involved in organised crime. Around 1 am on Thursday, a security officer and his partner remained tied up for hours in a dog kennel while bandits cleared out the G&L merchandise. The guards were duped by two rain-drenched women who are part of the gang. The women went to the gate where guard Andre Duncan was on duty and asked to shelter from the rain.

When Duncan opened the gate, two men pointed a gun at him, robbed him of $500 and then ordered him and another guard into a dog kennel. They then took $75,000 from a drawer in an office and used several trucks driven by other gang members to move out the goods which represented the company’s Christmas stocks. The guards were able to free themselves and contacted Chaguanas police. Owner of G&L Jameel Hassan said that he is contemplating closing his business because of the losses. He said that the loss represented over $1.5 million. A party of officers from the Chaguanas CID led by Inspector Burt Raphael, Sgt Dennis Housend, and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad went to the scene and interviewed the guards.

Yesterday, warrants were issued for the suspects who are also wanted by police officers in Port-of-Spain and Arima. Police officers advised yesterday that it is an offence to purchase stolen items. They feel that the suspects may try to sell the stolen goods at cheap prices for the Christmas season. The penalty for purchasing stolen items comes with a fine and a jail sentence of up to ten years. Under the Larceny Act Chapter 11;12 Section 35 (1), any person who receives any property knowing the same to have been stolen or obtained in any way whatsoever, under circumstances which amount to an indictable offence, is liable to imprisonment up to ten years. Police officers reiterated that they will be carrying out raids and searches in a bid to recover the stolen items.