A security operation led to multiple arrests and the seizure of contraband linked to an attempt to smuggle goods into the Arouca Maximum Security Prison, police said.
The intelligence-led raid, conducted between 6.30 pm on October 3 and 5 am on October 4, 2025, was spearheaded by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, Deputy Commissioner Suzette Martin, and Senior Superintendent of Prisons Lee Davis.
It involved a broad joint effort from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) Specialist Units, the Port of Spain Task Force, the Multi-Operational Police Section, the Crime Scene Unit, the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, and the Special Investigative Unit.
Acting on credible intelligence about individuals attempting to smuggle contraband into the Arouca Prison via drone, officers set up surveillance in the Forde Street Extension, Bon Air area.
A search of a nearby bushy area led to the arrest of two male suspects who tried to flee through dense vegetation and leap down a 25-foot embankment. The suspects, aged 13 and 26, were later apprehended after investigators conducted a targeted search of a river in the vicinity.
Items seized during the operation included:
- 1,050 grams of cannabis
- 256 packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes
- 15 Samsung cell phones and 2 LCD screens
- 1 DJI drone and controller
- 16 drone batteries
- 7 rolls of thread
- 1 power bank
- 12 charging blocks
- 20 packs of Mangalore hemp
- 12 lighters
- 50 packs of Bambu rolling papers
- 1 digital scale
- 16 wired headsets
- 1 wireless headset
- 15 USB cables
- 4 nail clippers
- 1 flick knife
- 1 nail file
A premises located off Forde Lane was searched under Section 12 of the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2025, but no illegal items were found there. One male suspect sustained injuries during the escape attempt and received medical treatment.
A simultaneous search at the Arouca Maximum Security Prison led to the discovery and seizure of additional contraband. Investigations are ongoing under the supervision of Acting Corporal Hyde.
