Cops foil Central robbery, teen suspect shot

One of the suspects, an 18-year-old from River Road, Enterprise, was shot in the abdomen during an exchange of gunfire with the police.

According to reports, at aabout 11.45 pm on Thursday, acting Sgt Neptune and other Cunupia CID officers were on mobile patrol when they received information that armed men in an AD wagon were planning to rob a bar in the district.

They spotted the vehicle and seven occupants in Endeavour.

They challenged the men, who tried to to escape by speeding away. The police cornered them near Classic Tiles at Endeavour Road, Chaguanas.

The suspects allegedly shot at the police, who returned fire and hit one of the men. The six others, aged from 16 to 23, from the Cunupia and Chaguanas areas, were detained and a pistol with eight rounds of ammunition and two imitation guns were seized.

The shot suspect was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, where he had emergency surgery.

Yesterday, he was listed in critical condition.

The others were taken to the Cunupia Police Station and were expected to be put on identification parades for other serious crimes in the Central Division.

Yesterday, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Central Division Surujdeen Persad commended acting Sgt Neptune and his team.

He said the seizure of the pistol meant one more weapon was taken from the hands of criminal elements.