TWENTY-SEVEN million dollars worth of cocaine, discovered among cargo on an Air Transat flight, was seized Thursday night by officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit (OCNU) at Piarco Airport. 

The seizure was made during a routine check at the airport, according to aviation sources. The large quantity of cocaine was reportedly found sealed in wall plaques with paintings of the late calypsonian, the Lord Kitchener on the front. Clarence Holmer, General Manager of the General Aviation Services (GAS), ground handlers for Air Transat, said he had no comment to make on the seizure. “I am not at liberty to give out any information,” Holmer stated flatly, while Snr Supt Kathleen Weekes, head of the OCNU department, said the investigations were at a sensitive stage and therefore, she preferred not to comment. Newsday understands that no arrests have been made.  However, several people have been questioned.  OCNU officers are continuing investigations.

GRENADIAN national Joseph Matthew was supposed to return to his homeland yesterday before flying out to England to meet his wife who has been living there for almost a year. He didn’t make it.

On Thursday night, the 49-year-old corn soup vendor was fatally stabbed in the neck following an argument with a 26-year-old man whom he had ordered to leave his sister’s house at George Street, La Romain. The suspect, a maxi-taxi conductor, who had been staying at the house for the past four months, surrendered to a policeman moments after the fatal stabbing. Matthew’s sister, Jermaine Picou, is currently living in the United States. The deceased lived at Cocoa Alley, Siparia, but started staying at his sister’s house a week ago. The house is occupied by Picou’s son, Leslie, his common-law wife, Mary Layne and their six-year-old son, Akee.

At around 9 pm, Matthew confronted the suspect on the roadway near Picou’s house and demanded that he leave. Matthew told the suspect his sister did not want him staying in the house anymore. A heated dispute began and soon turned violent, ending in murder. Eyewitnesses told police Matthew attacked the suspect with a cutlass and the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased on the left side of his neck. Matthew ran to his sister’s house where he collapsed and died in the gallery. Visiting the scene were officers from San Fernando Homicide Bureau. When Newsday visited the scene yesterday, Leslie Picou said he was not at home at the time of the stabbing. His common-law-wife, told Newsday the suspect slept on a couch in the drawing room.  

She said on Thursday morning, Matthew told the suspect he would have to find another place to sleep because he was “mashing up” a chair. Layne added that Matthew and the suspect started arguing and the suspect left. Layne said the next time she saw Matthew was around 7 pm. My son was sleeping when he  come home and he started playing with the sleeping boy. He was only pulling my son’s thumb out of his mouth. Then he say ‘alright boy, you sleep’ and he walked outside,” Layne said. She said sometime later, Matthew burst through her bedroom door, bleeding profusely from a wound to the left side of his neck. “He tell me, ‘oh God Mary call the ambulance. Ah feel ah go dead before they come’,” she said. Layne said Matthew ran down the hallway, sat down on a chair in the drawing room for a few seconds and then ran into the gallery where he collapsed and bled to death. 

Leslie Picou, said his uncle’s wife, Shirley Picou, had not yet been told about his death. He said Matthew was supposed to purchase his ticket for Grenada yesterday to prepare his documents and then fly out to England to be reunited with his wife. According to Picou, his uncle was only going on a vacation to England and his flight was scheduled for June 28. Picou said his uncle, who would have celebrated his 50th birthday on June 25, had been living in Trinidad for many years and got married six years ago. His wife and her four children migrated to England almost a year ago. An autopsy was due to be carried out yesterday at the Forensic Sciences Centre in St James. Following the results of the autopsy, the file will be sent to Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson. Cpl Hosein is continuing investigations.

POLICE COMMISSIONER Hilton Guy defended his officers yesterday, insisting that no death squad exists in the service. He said the police service is a highly disciplined organisation made up of hardworking, highly skilled and dedicated officers who adhere to the rule of law.

However, Guy said if reliable information is provided to him about any crooked officers engaged in illicit activities, swift action will be taken. Responding to claims made by UNC Senator Wade Mark earlier this week, the Commissioner said it was highly irresponsible for persons to be making such statements without presenting any evidence. Guy said he is very concerned about the spate of gang-related murders in the country, and assured that homicide officers were working round-the-clock to bring the perpetrators to justice. He said based on information received from investigators, the gang-related murders are being carried out by rival gang members. On Tuesday, during the debate on the Anti-Kidnapping Bill, Mark  raised questions about whether some of the killings were being carried out by a police death squad. He said: “I would like to ask the Minister of National Security whether there is an official death squad in the police service.”

Yesterday, Mark, in an immediate response said while he is happy to learn that Guy is maintaining that no police death squad exists, he feels the country is not yet convinced. He added that based on information received, he is concerned about the number of gang-related murders being committed with no arrests being made. “The way how people are being murdered, and no one is being arrested prompted me to address this question to the Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee,  but he has not yet answered my questions,” Mark said yesterday. Checks with the Port-of-Spain CID yesterday revealed that three persons wanted for three gang-related murders were among 17 held in a joint police/army exercise in Laventille, Belmont and Gonzales.

TWO bandits fled, while a third was shot three times, after a security guard foiled a robbery attempt at the SM Jaleel Chaguanas compound, Thurs-day night.

Chaguanas detectives were up to late yesterday searching for the two men, while the injured suspect, a 21-year-old man, is in a serious condition under police guard at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. At around 7.30 pm, Estate Constable Randolph Donnis, 30, of Security Escort Services Ltd, was on duty at the soft drink manufacturing company at Berger Street Extension when he spotted three men attempting to enter the compound through a hole in the wire fence. The guard raised an alarm and one of the men fired at him. Donnis returned fire with his service revolver and pursued the fleeing suspects on foot. Upon reaching Medford Service Station at Montrose, the bandits again fired at the security officer, who in turn fired two shots at the men. One of the bandits slumped to the ground. He was left bleeding from the wounds to his back, while his accomplices escaped. Officers from the Chaguanas CID visited the scene and Insp Raphael is continuing investigations.

A 19-YEAR-OLD youth arrested for Thursday’s stabbing of a Carapichaima Senior Secondary  student appeared before Chaguanas Magistrate Nanette Forde-John yesterday charged with malicious wounding.

Griffith Mungal, of Chase Village, a former student of the school, was charged with maliciously wounding Anderson John on the school compound last Thursday.  Mungal, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Victor Hosein. Magistrate Forde-John adjourned the matter to June 23. Mungal had appeared before a Justice of the Peace at the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court late Thursday and was granted $15,000 bail to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace. Also in court yesterday, dressed in his school uniform was the victim  who was stabbed on the left shoulder and left side of his face.