A police officer and a civilian have been charged in separate incidents for extortion as the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) reports a breakthrough in addressing such crimes.
A release from the TTPS on Friday stated that Police Constable Naboth Bynoe, 38, of Freeport, who was on suspension, was granted bail in the sum of $650,000 when he appeared before Master Indira Chinebas at the Couva Master’s Court on Thursday. He is facing multiple charges including two counts of demanding money by menace, kidnapping, robbery and larceny.
The charges stem from two incidents reported earlier this year.
In the first incident, a 39-year-old man arranged to meet a person he had been communicating with on Instagram between January and March. The meeting took place at a pharmacy car park in Couva.
The man told police that while seated in his vehicle, a man dressed in dark clothing and a medical mask approached him, presented what appeared to be a TTPS identification card and claimed he was attached to the Couva Police Station. The victim was instructed to move to the passenger seat while the suspect drove him to the car park of the Couva Health Facility.
There, the suspect accused the victim of talking to an underage person and demanded $30,000 as compensation, alleging the child had to undergo counselling. The victim, who had $5,000, was taken to a bank where he withdrew the cash and handed it over. He was told to expect follow-up contact for the remaining amount.
The investigation was led by Corporal Phillips under the supervision of Sergeant Bacchus and supported by the Anti-Extortion Unit, supervised by Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Smith.
In a second incident on February 17, a separate victim was approached in the same Couva car park by a man wearing a TTPS-branded polo shirt who made similar accusations. The victim was again forced into the passenger seat, driven to a nearby location, and told to pay $100,000. The suspect also seized his mobile phone and attempted to use it to make a $300 withdrawal through a cashless application, before fleeing with the phone.
Woman Police Constable Kelly, under the direction of Sergeant Bacchus and with assistance from the Anti-Extortion Unit, led the investigation. Bynoe was later charged with additional offences including attempted larceny.
In a separate case in the Southern Division, a 43-year-old man from Orangefield Road, Carapichaima, was also charged with demanding money by menace following an incident in Barrackpore.
Police said the suspect allegedly confronted a 46-year-old farm owner around 6.45 pm on February 24, issuing a threat unless he paid $30,000 to continue operating his business. He was arrested on April 22 and appeared before Master Kateisha Ambrose-Persadsingh at the Princes Town Masters Court on April 25. He was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 and ordered to report to the Freeport Police Station twice weekly.
The TTPS urges the public to report any cases of extortion or threats to the nearest police station.
