FBI to train AKS officers

Two high profile officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) will arrive in the country on Monday, to provide up to date training for officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS).

During their stay in this country the FBI officers will review the kidnapping of six-year-old Mark Prescott, and provide new ways and means on how this kidnapping could be dealt with. Yesterday marked 24 days since Prescott was kidnapped. The two FBI officers have been involved in making major breakthroughs in a number of kidnappings in the United States and North American countries. On their arrival on Monday, they will be taken to the office of the Port-of-Spain CID, where they will provide one week of intensive training for all officers of the AKS. This training was made possible through the Mutual Assistance Agreement which was signed under the UNC administration. The agreement makes it possible for the sharing of information between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, and the assistance in training programmes as well as other benefits.

The training course will be opened by Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee and United States Ambassador Dr Roy Austin. Yesterday, Minister Chin Lee confirmed the arrival of the FBI officers to provide training at the one week programme. He added that some of the US $941,800 which was recently provided by the US Government to assist in the fight against drug trafficking, will go to assist the AKS in updating its equipment and mobility, as members fight the scourge of kidnapping. Minister Chin Lee said that the training is needed to prepare officers for further investigation into kidnappings.

So far, 17 persons have been kidnapped this year with six-year-old Mark Prescott the only one who has not yet been found. Sources revealed yesterday that the officers of the AKS whose head is Snr Supt Gilbert Reyes will receive new information on various aspects of dealing with kidnappings, disseminating whole gang organisations through the use of sophisticated investigative techniques, seeking out information, the use of highly sophisticated equipment to monitor calls from kidnappers, surveillance, dealing with sensitive information and plea bargaining with kidnappers. Recently, two officers of AKS received training in the United States on anti-kidnapping measures.