Erla Claims Steady Progress in Crime Fight

Caption: Some of the items seized by the police. Photo: TTPS

POLICE Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher is claiming steady progress against the crime element.

She made the comment in a release by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Tuesday.

Harewood-Christopher said police intensified operations with several intelligence-led anti-crime exercises on roadways and throughout crime prone areas over the last weekend.

She said the operations were conducted across all ten police divisions resulted in 15 arrests, the seizure of eight illegal firearms, a quantity of ammunition and narcotics.

The release stated:

In the Southern Division:

1. A 38-year-old of Barrackpore, was arrested and charged for
   possession of a quantity of cocaine,
2. A 42-year-old of Barrackpore, was arrested and charged for
   possession of one Smith and Wesson revolver loaded with five rounds of
   ammunition and,
3. A 24-year-old of Barrackpore, was arrested and charged for
   possession of one Beretta pistol loaded with one round of ammunition.
4. Three men were arrested and charged after a search of their vehicle
   resulted in officers finding one Taurus pistol loaded with a magazine
   containing 17 rounds of ammunition.

In the Northern Division:

1. A 39-year-old man of Laventille was arrested and charged for
   possession of a firearm loaded with 24 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
2. A 20-year-old of Arima was arrested and charged after a search of his
   vehicle resulted in officers finding six, large plastic packets containing
   quantities of cocaine and cannabis. The cocaine weighed 1.12 kilogrammes and has an estimated street value of $65,000, while the cannabis weighed 3.2 kilogrammes and has an estimated street value of $256,000.
3. Officers Lots, South Quay and Duncan Street Plannings areas. During the exercise, the officers seized a quantity of cocaine in the Pump Trace, Picton Road, Hell Yard, Beetham Gardens, Sea Lots, South Quay and Duncan Street Plannings areas.

In the Eastern Division:

1. A 17-year-old male was arrested and charged for being in possession
   of a pistol with an extended magazine containing 17 rounds of 9-mm
   ammunition.
2. A 51-year-old man of the Sangre Grande was charged for Dangerous
   Driving. Officers also issued eight fixed penalty notices to errant drivers for
   various offences.
3. A male from the Biche district was arrested and charged for being in
   possession of 12 grammes of cocaine.

In the Central Division:

1. Officers, targeting several drug blocks and priority offenders in the
   Freeport area, acting on intelligence, conducted a search and found a black
   SCCY CPX-2 firearm loaded with a magazine containing five rounds of
   ammunition. During the same exercise, two suspects were arrested and
   charged for possession of various quantities of cannabis and cocaine
2. A male from the Caroni area arrested and charged for being in
   possession of a shotgun and two 12-gauge cartridges.