Stolen rifle found in house at D’Abadie

The lockdown at Camp Ogden, which started last Tuesday, was called off Sunday afternoon. However, three soldiers, two privates and a recruit, remained confined pending the outcome of a probe led by Col Maharaj, into the Galil assault rifle that was missing, but found Saturday. Officers of the Firearms Interdiction Unit (FIU) recovered the missing weapon at a house in D’Abadie at around 2.15 pm Saturday.

No one was in the house at the time of the raid. The weapon was reportedly put in the care of a man for safe-keeping. The man is linked to a soldier attached to Camp Ogden. The gun was sent to a ballistic expert at the Forensic Science Centre yesterday to check for prints, and to determine when the weapon was last used. Army sources revealed that charges were expected to be laid in the matter shortly. Commanding Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, Col Edmund Dillon, was only willing to say that the investigation would be pursued to the highest level.

He said, “Our investigation continues and those found involved will be taken as far as court-martial, and if found guilty, as far as military prison and then dismissal.” He said the police would have to decide what charges they could lay. Seven soldiers were initially put in solitary confinement when the Galil went missing a week ago. The rifle has a range of a one mile radius and can fire 650 rounds in one minute. Army sources speculated the gun might have been stolen to carry out the killing of a top-ranking official.