Security sectors have since 2013 noted crime surges in “hot spots” in the East/West Corridor and Central Trinidad where some gangs have used religion and religious organisations as a “front,” former national security minister Gary Griffith confirmed yesterday.
Griffith was speaking about patterns during his tenure as minister (2013-2015) and use of a religion by some gangs. Queries were posed to Griffith following revelations in a 2013-2015 police report of 105 names and pictures of men, women and children including families who are documented as leaving T&T for Syria during that period to give support to the Islamic State (Isis).
Those documented came from all over T&T, particularly south east (Rio Claro), Central (Enterprise, Cunupia and environs), the corridor, and South. Several were known to be associated with south-east and Central masjids.
Griffith said during his tenure, intelligence information showed the bulk of serious crime was related to gangs and that gangs were getting contracts.
“The best way to deal with this was to cut their financing. This is where the LifeSport issue arose for instance. We pinpointed people involved in gang activity getting contracts and even holding consultations with other gangs to get contracts and some of these gangs used a certain religion as a front.”
The LifeSport issue peaked in mid-2014 following revelations that criminals had infiltrated the programme and other alleged financial mismanagement issues. PNM Minister Colm Imbert, then in Opposition, warned that corrupt administration of the programme had funded and cultivated an armed militia of about 250 men. UNC MP Roodal Moonilal, now in Opposition, last week said 400 people have been indoctrinated, radicalised and trained by Isis and that men, women and children have gone to Syria.
After LifeSport was halted and gang financing stopped, there was a spike in murders, Griffith noted. He lamented the PP government’s failure after his February 2015 resignation to follow through on his suggestion for a military camp in Central Trinidad to deal with Enterprise and other hot spots. That area also registered spikes in crime and gang warfare in 2015, he noted. He said after his resignation, the proposed land for the camp was given to cane farmers. Nor did his suggestion for a South Trinidad military camp materialise.
“It’s ironic the Chaguanas mayor is calling now for a military camp in Central,” Griffith said.
Griffith said the situation had stabilised later in 2014 after LifeSport, when the crime rate fell to its the lowest.
Expressing concern over some security systems, which lapsed even when the PP was in office, Griffith called for the Government to ensure gang records are current and to check whether anyone affiliated with gangs now receives state contracts.
Despite the Opposition PP’s objection to the Strategic Services Agency Bill to upgrade systems including interception of communication to track criminals, Griffith favours this. “It’s done worldwide,” he said and there are safeguards to protect the privacy of innocent people.
Another priority is a counter-terrorism unit (apart from one in the AG’s division) to operationalise work in this area and involves a special operations team apart from Defence Force capability.