RALPH BANWARIE
A Venezuelan national was among nine people arrested by members of the Eastern Division Task Force during anti-crime exercises in Toco and Sangre Grande over the weekend Police seized three guns, several rounds of ammunition and narcotics with a street value of $632,000 during the exercises.
The suspects will appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate today to answer charges ranging from possession of arms and ammunition and possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Police reported that around 4 am on Saturday, EDTF officers were on roadblock duty along Depot Road, Cumana Village, Toco, when they stopped a blue Honda CRV with three male occupants, including a Venezuelan national.
The vehicle was searched and one Walther pistol with two magazines and four rounds of 9mm ammunition was found. The three men were arrested and taken to Sangre Grande Police Station. PC St Clair later charged the men with possession of firearm and possession of ammunition. Around 8.35 pm, officers went to Valencia Old Road where they stopped a white pickup van.
While searching the vehicle the allegedly found 10.4 kilograms of marijuana and 4.12 kilos of cocaine. The driver, a 65-year-old Cumana Village, Toco resident, was arrested and taken to the Sangre Grande station, where he being questioned up to last night. He is to be charged with the possession of cocaine mand marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Police estimated the cocaine and marijuana to carry a street value of $632,000.
The party of officers, led by Insp Lutchman, then went to Picton Road, Sangre Grande, where they searched a house and found one .38 Smith and Wessen Springfield revolver with four rounds of .38 ammo.
Four people were arrested, including a 15-year-old boy, an 18-year-old and a 37-year-old woman, all of Cane Farm Road, Trincity, and a 34-year-old man of San Pablo Trace, Valencia. The four were taken to Sangre Grande station where they were charged by PC Cortez with the possession of firearm and ammunition.
Around 1 pm, police went to North Eastern Settlement, Ojoe Road, Sangre Grande, where they searched some men at the roadside. A .38 revolver with two rounds of ammunition was found tucked in the waist of a 20-year old man, who was arrested.