Fish hooks in concrete injure cop on drug raid

POLICE Constable Khelewan Ramsook, attached to the Central Division Task Force, suffered serious injuries to his right foot when he stepped on a fish hook trap set in the yard of the home of a suspected drug dealer.

The fish hooks, dipped in gramoxone and cast in concrete, were concealed in a grass lawn at the back yard of the suspect’s premises.
Reports revealed that around 5 am, officers led by Ag Sgt Ajith Persad, the Head of the Central Division Task Force and including PCs Ramsook, James, Pierre, Narcis and Sinnanan, went to the Chase Village home of the 28-year-old man, to execute a search warrant.

PC Ramsook alighted from the police vehicle and ran after the suspect who on seeing the police started running away.

As PC Ramsook pursued the suspect he stepped on the concrete slabs with the fish hooks.

The hooks penetrated his shoes and penetrated his right foot.
Ramsook shouted to his fellow officers warning them about the fish hooks embedded in the slabs. He was able to pull out the hooks.
Despite all this, the suspect who ran to the front of his house was promptly arrested by other officers.

He was searched and a quantity of marijuana was discovered in his jockey shorts.

Officers also searched his house and a quantity of hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes was found in a pillow.

A 26-year-old woman was also arrested. The two were taken to the Chaguanas Police Station where they were charged by PC Pierre.
PC Ramsook was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre where he was treated by a doctor.

Officers also removed the slabs of concrete with the fish hooks.
Newsday learned that several drug dealers are placing fish hooks around their homes to forestall to police raids.

Police officers said yesterday that they will be forced to pay more attention to surroundings whenever they carry out raids for drugs.
The same officers later went to Longdenville where they arrested a 30-year-old man and seized a quantity of marijuana seeds.

They also went to a travel agency in Chaguanas, where they seized a number of passports, stamps, letterheads, documents purported to be stamped by the American Embassy, pictures and other documents.
A man was detained but was allowed to leave to seek medical treatment.