Where have seized drugs gone?

Of this number, 102 were rifles, 66 sub-machine guns, 643 revolvers, 1,169 semi-automatic pistols, 270 shotguns, and 230 homemade shotguns.

ASP Gift added that “in keeping with the 2016 operating plan of the Police Service we continue to work assiduously by conducting exercises, road checks and intense investigations to ensure that illegal firearms and ammunition are seized and removed from the streets.” Where narcotics is concerned, the police this year have seized 842 kilos of marijuana valued at $11,122,584 and 195 kilos of cocaine valued at $78,184,000. With respect to these seizures, 2,091 people have been arrested for simple possession or for possession for trafficking and 385 people have been arrested for possession of cocaine or possession for trafficking.

In 2015 around this time, 1,186 people had been arrested for possession of marijuana and possession for trafficking and 442 people had been arrested for possession of cocaine and possession for trafficking.

Gift added that from 2011 to 2015, police seized a total of 62,435 kilos of marijuana valued at $824,142,792 and 1,013 kilos of cocaine valued at $405,164,000.

The questions may be asked: Where are these large quantities of illegal drugs and narcotics stored? Are they securely stored? Who has access to the narcotics? Why is it necessary to retain such large quantities of illegal narcotics? I have been told they are retained to be used as court exhibits. But for how long are they kept? What is the procedure for destruction of illegal drugs at the conclusion of court matters? Who witnesses the destruction.

In addition, does the forensic lab take samples to verify the authentisity of what was destroyed? Does the representative of government agencies involved sign copies of destruction certificates? My information is that in the UK, after an adequate quantity of samples of seized narcotics have been retained by the respective government agencies, the illegal narcotics are destroyed. Why is a similar transparent procedure not being adopted in Trinidad and Tobago? Our laws must be amended to provide for a transparent procedure and the prompt destruction of seized narcotics, and to thus protect them from the “rats”.

I must commend the shortstaffed and overworked members of the Police Service for their efforts to apprehend and bring to justice the criminals engaged in the smuggling of illegal narcotics and firearms but the procedure for destruction must be transparent.

Have the 1,749 kilos of cocaine, valued at $700 million, seized at Monos Island on August 25, 2005, together with seven firearms and ammunition, been destroyed by the police? I was never satisfied with the investigations conducted into this matter, since the “big fish” was never caught. The six “scrunting small fish” who were found in possession but who could not have owned such a large quantity of cocaine were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Why was the “big fish”, the owner of the illegal drugs, not pursued, apprehended and made to face the court? Was plea bargaining for information in exchange for a lesser sentence utilised? In our war aginst illegal narcotics and firearms, our prioity must be the apprehension and conviction of the “big f i s h ”.

Are you o p t i - mi s t i c this will happen in TT in the near future?