$6M coke, $100,000 cash seized in Belmont

POLICE swooped down on a house at Belmont Valley Road, Belmont, on Saturday night and seized $6 million worth of pure cocaine and close to $100,000 in local and foreign currency. According to reports, members of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) executed a search warrant at the home of a 38-year-old businessman around 8.45 pm on Saturday. During the search, police found 14 kilos of cocaine which originated from South America and which was destined for the United Kingdom and Germany. The cocaine was valued at $6 million. During the search, police stumbled on a large quantity of local and foreign currency. Investigators found $68,900 Trinidad and Tobago currency, US $1,348 along with currency from the United Kingdom, Canada, Venezuela, and the Eastern Caribbean. The money amounted to just short of $100,000 (TT).

Newsday learnt that the police had been keeping surveillance to several Belmont and surrounding houses for days following reports that the cocaine had come into Trinidad and was being prepared for shipment to the United Kingdom and Germany. Several other houses were also searched during the exercise. Police also believe that apart from the shipment destined for Europe, sales were booming on the streets of Belmont because of the amount of cash which was kept in the house. The raid, which was co-ordinated by Senior Supt Raymond Craig, head of OCNU, also resulted in the arrest of the man’s 44-year-old wife and a relative, a 16-year-old schoolboy, who was visiting for the weekend. All three occupants of the house were later charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Saturday night’s operation was headed by acting Inspector Simon Lendor, and included Cpl Wade Gouda, and PC Kurt Marcus. The suspects will appear before Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court this morning.