The son of a notorious gang leader was among five people arrested when Southern Division Task Force seized over $1.4 million in high-grade marijuana in Moruga on Carnival Tuesday.
Police said criminals usually use Carnival Monday and Tuesday to smuggle drugs and guns into the country and Southern Division Task Force, headed by Sgt Pacheco, Sgt Farrel and Cpl Ramsingh, led patrols around the community for that purpose.
Around 1.30 am, Cpl Ramsingh, PC Ramdass and PC Guerra were driving through St Mary’s Village when they observed a green Nissan Almera along the same road. The officers stopped and searched the car and found 9.3 kilogrammes of marijuana valued at $558,000.
A 27-year-old man of Dow Village, California, a 37-year-old rigger of Couva and a 27-year-old rigger of Dow Village, California, were arrested and charged by Guerra for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Earlier, around 10.09 pm on Carnival Monday, WPC Ramkissoon and PC Ragbir were patrolling La Lune Road when they spotted a gold-coloured Nissan Sylphy parked on the roadside. As they approached, the car sped off. With assistance from the task force, the car was chased and it eventually veered off the road at Bois Jean Jean.
Officers searched the car and found 14.2 kilogrammes of marijuana valued at $852,000. The 24-year-old of California, who is the son of an incarcerated gang leader, and his accomplice were arrested and charged by Ragbir.
Police believe all suspects are connected and had just collected a shipment of drugs along the Moruga coastline. The men may have split up and the occupants in the Nissan Sylphy were believed to have been waiting for guns.
Snr Supt Irwin Hackshaw commended the officers involved for their bravery and persistence in carrying out the division’s crime plan.