5 guns seized

A 27-year-old man was held by police early yesterday morning with police and army uniforms. In a house in the hills of Diego Martin, the man was found with a pair of police pants, shirt, complete with real buttons and clips, a baton with the words “THE BIGWOOD” carved out and a brown leather belt. Senior police officers said the baton and belt were not police issue and were working on the theory that the man may have had the baton and belt made. He also was held with a full Army kit — pair of pants, shirt and boots as well as three rounds of .380 ammunition.  No firearm was found but police said a firearm holster was discovered. Up to late evening, police could not say from where the man obtained the gear.  Acting Com-missioner of Police Everald Snaggs said a probe will be conducted to determine how the man came into possession of the police uniform. The top cop further told Newsday that the police were receiving reports of “robberies and other serious crimes” being committed by people dressed in police uniform, and that the issue is under investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department.

Captain Elizabeth Williams, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF), stated that the TTDF had no official comment to make, and that it was now a police matter. Police said the police/army imposter is believed to be involved in a kidnapping and robbery incident on the Diego Martin Main Road on July 4. Police said, two men, one a rasta-haired man in police uniform and another man, stopped a couple and asked for assistance, the two men got into the vehicle and while driving along the Diego Martin Main Road, one of them pulled out a gun, which was used to assault the driver. The driver was then ordered to pull into the Diego Martin branch of KFC where the man wearing the police uniform came out and fired several shots. They then escaped after kidnapping the driver, whose vehicle they used as a getaway car. The vehicle was later recovered.  The suspect is due to be placed on identification parades in connection with the July 4 incident as well as other serious reported crimes. Police were unable to say whether the man had used the army outfit to carry out any illegal activities.

Police said they were led to the suspect after receiving certain information.  A party of West End officers under Cpl Steven Rivas and including PCs Wheeler, Mitchell, Nelson and others stormed a house in the hills of Diego Martin, around 3.30 am. The man was one of 35 people arrested by Western Division officers during an exercise co-ordinated by Sr Supt Stephen Quashie and carried out by several senior officers, including Insp Anthony Lezama. During the exercise, officers of the Maraval Police Station also seized two firearms, bringing to five, the number of guns seized in less than 24 hours. One of the two firearms seized by the Maraval police has been described as a 12-gauge seven shooter pump action shotgun, while the other is a .380 semi-automatic pistol. Police said two people, ages 25 and 22, were held and a pistol was seized at Beaupres Road, while the shotgun was seized at Herrera Trace, Morne Coco Road, both in Maraval. Around 6 pm Thursday, a 24-year-old Maracas Bay man was held during a roadblock exercise on the North Coast Road.

Officers under Sgt Keith Louison held the man with a .22 pistol and 15 rounds of .22 ammunition. Earlier Thursday, officers of the Port-of-Spain raided an abandoned house in the Carenage district. There, the officers seized a 9mm pistol, a .38 revolver, 63 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and six rounds of .38 ammunition. A large quantity of jewelry was also recovered and police said they believe the jewelry and one of the firearms were stolen in a recent robbery in Chaguanas. Two illegal immigrants, one a Jamaican, the other a Venezuelan, were also held during the Western Division exercise and are to be “thoroughly checked” by the Immigration authorities, senior police officers said. Others were held on outstanding warrants, narcotic offences and possession of firearm and ammunition. A kilogramme of marijuana was also seized. Snaggs told Newsday that the seizures are testimony to the kind of information the police have been receiving from the public, whom he encouraged to continue to provide information to the police as well as Crime Stoppers.