By Prior Beharry
ACTING Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob is applauding the efforts of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Customs and Excise after a cache of guns were seized from an international crime network.
He said, “I applaud the efforts of officers on both sides, the TTPS and Customs, they have done their part to ensure that illegal firearms, and more importantly, high-powered weapons did not reach their intended destination, into the hands of criminals.”
A release from the TTPS on Friday stated that officers intercepted an international crime network, which resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of firearms, ammunition, and narcotics.
During the exercise, the team seized 16 high-powered rifles, five pistols, 22 rifle magazines, two pistol magazines and several thousand rounds of 7.62 ammunition. The marijuana seized amounted to 8.9 kilograms, with an estimated street value of $2,670,000.
Jacob said, “These seizures were as a result of months of meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance by a dedicated team of officers attached to an intelligence unit in the TTPS”.
The release stated that between 2.30 pm and 8.15 pm on Friday, officers of the Central Division, in collaboration with officers of the Customs and Excise Division, acting on intelligence information, conducted searches at a bond in the Central Division.
During the search, the officers found and seized the following in a barrel:
- Four high-powered rifles;
- Four pistols;
- Two pistol magazines;
- 17 rifle magazines;
- 40 boxes of 7.62 ammunition;
- Several component firearm parts; and
- Seven cans containing a quantity of marijuana weighing 3.7kg and grocery items.
During the search of a second barrel, the officers seized:
- One pistol;
- 12 high-powered rifles;
- Five rifle magazines; and
- Six cans containing a quantity of marijuana weighing 5.2 kg among grocery items.
There have been at least two major halls of guns and ammunition at a bond in Central over the past 18 months. No one is yet to be charged.
