A 47-year-old Cunupia businessman and two of his employees are being interrogated at a Southern Division police station after police raided a contracting firm and recovered over $2 million in stolen equipment belonging to Brazilian firm Construtora OAS.
Police believe the equipment was stolen from the highway contractor’s compound in Golconda on April 1.
Several vehicles, a compactor and other machinery are yet to be recovered. While the two men are suspects in the robbery, investigators said they will have to determine whether the businessman has sold the equipment.
Investigators said since the robbery, they were conducting surveillance and interviewing several people based on information they received on Monday. An operation was coordinated by Snr Supt Irwin Hackshaw to retrieve the equipment.
Around 7 pm, Supt Yussuf Gaffar, ASP Rawle Ramdeo, Insp Don Gajadhar and Sgt Parasram led teams together with the Central Division Task Force and went to a compound along Madras Road, Cunupia.
When they searched the compound, they found a dump truck valued US$81,000, a truck valued TT$612,000, trailer valued TT$492,000, an excavator valued US$222,000 and one battery valued TT$4,500. The equipment matched the description of those stolen from Construtora OAS and was taken to the Ste Madeleine Police Station.
The businessman from Rodney Trace, Las Lomas, and his employees from Chin Chin Road, Cunupia, remained in custody last night.—(KF)