Police raid nets grenade, $3M in cocaine, arms, ammo

FIVE persons, including three Venezuelan women and a 12-year-old girl, were denied bail yesterday on five charges stemming from the seizure of a hand grenade, nine firearms including three sub-machine guns and over $3 million worth of cocaine. The accused were arrested after officers of the Firearm Interdiction Unit (FIU) headed by ASP Chandrabhan Maharaj, swooped down on a house at Aripero Village, Rousillac on Wednesday evening and found an arsenal of weapons, a large quantity of narcotics and a police bulletproof vest. Officers seized nine guns, including a Mac 1, Mac 10, Mac 11, five pistols - three 9mm and two .380 - each with magazines, a hand grenade, 347 rounds of 7.62mm, 9mm and 45mm ammunition, two AK 47 magazines, ten blocks and 30 small packets of cocaine weighing 11.2 kgs and 600 grammes of marijuana with a street value of $50,000.

Investigators also confiscated approximately $6,500 worth of TT currency. Yesterday evening Martin Noriega Bain, 34, of Aripero Village, his 12-year-old relative, of Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, his common-law-wife, Erica Rondon, 30, of Costa Agual, Venezuela and her mother, Beatrice Rondon, 55 and sister, Adriana Rondon, 18, both of Caracas, Venezuela appeared before Princes Town Second Court Magistrate Siumungal Ramsaran. Jointly charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, namely a hand grenade, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of firearms, possession of ammunition and possession of marijuana, they were not called upon to plead since the charges were laid indictably. All of the accused, except for the 12-year-old girl, were unrepresented. A Spanish translator was not present in court, but the prosecution informed the magistrate that a translator was at the Princes Town Police Station and the Venezuelans were aware of what they were charged with.

Court Prosecutor, Cpl Zamsheed Mohammed, objected to bail on the grounds that the accused were not traced, the serious nature of the offence, and the quantity of the arms and ammunition. In pleading for his client, attorney Rattangoul Bunsee said the girl, a primary school pupil, lived with her mother and went to Rousillac to visit a relative. He said his client was a minor and had no previous convictions or pending matters. Bunsee requested that his client be given bail with her mother as surety. Magistrate Siumungal said he did not think the girl would experience harsh circumstances at St Jude’s Home and denied bail. On hearing this, the girl’s mother asked to say something but was not allowed to. The woman began crying and had to be escorted out of the court. Magistrate Siumungal remanded all five into custody and transferred the matter to the Siparia Magistrates’ Court for Monday.