Special Branch told of al Qaeda operations

CRIME AND illicit Drug Trade Specialist Daurius Figueira said yesterday that he has given key information to Special Branch about local trans-shipments being controlled by this society’s elites, to fund a local cell of the al Qaeda terrorist network.

But head of Special Branch, ACP Frank Diaz told Newsday yesterday he had had no discussion with Figueira and that no reports of such a nature had been forwarded to him. He said all such reports would be thoroughly investigated. Figueira said that the Jamaat Al Muslimeen led by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr is not linked to al Qaeda in any way, but the links were in the Indo-Muslim community. The outspoken crime specialist claimed that Al Qaeda members are not interested in toppling the T&T Government. “They concentrate on the drug trade, until the assignment is shifted,” said Figueira.

Figueira, who spoke publicly for the first time about the local arm of the al Qaeda network at a conference on crime on Thursday, said that based on his information, the al Qaeda network is carrying out a thriving trade with drugs in this country. He said some businessmen and even politicians are involved. Figueira said that Special Branch listened to what he had to say two months ago but they have not contacted him since. Figueira who converted to Islam in 1990, said that he has a network of persons who carry out intelligence and information gathering. “In Trinidad and Tobago we don’t know who is who since some of the most influential persons are linked to al Qaeda,” said Figueira. He claimed that al Qaeda members can be found in key offices throughout Trinidad, and their mission is to ensure that the large shipments of drugs which pass through Trinidad and Tobago are chanelled to buyers.

Figueira claimed that the local al Qaeda members are often visited by operatives from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, but revealed that those operatives have not visited the country since the World Trade Centre bombings. He claimed that al Qaeda have recruited locals who go to Muslim countries to study. He said that he is not afraid for his life because he is a Muslim and will continue to look at what is happening in the drug trade. The local author/academic/lecturer claimed that the terrorist network is also involved in the importation of guns which were being sold to criminal elements. He reiterated that Trinidad is a narco-democracy and nothing is being done to put a stop to the drug trade because al Qaeda had penetrated all the key organisations in the country.