Panic engulfed the Couva community yesterday after police and soldiers locked down the area and searched the mangroves for a suspect believed to be toting a bag of weapons, including grenades.
In the latest development in a week when three shopping malls were evacuated due to a bomb threat, a bomb expert from the Defence Force had to be called in to “make safe” a grenade that fell from a suspect’s bag as he evaded the police.
There were contrasting reports of how the incident developed, including that the man threw the grenade at the officers.
However, the pin was still in place when the device was shown to the media, with police noting it cannot go off unless the pin is removed.
Investigators said if it was indeed thrown at the officers, it was probably a diversionary ploy by the suspect to escape pursuit.
Up to late yesterday, the Central Division Task Force, Special Branch, Canine Unit and Defence Force were searching the vast swamp area with aerial aid from the national security helicopter.
Police said Task Force officers were patrolling Carli Bay Road when they saw a man walk onto the road from the mangrove some 100 metres away. They said when the man saw the vehicle he ran back into the mangroves, dropping the grenade.
After the grenade’s pin was secured and the device wrapped, it was taken back to the Defence Force’s Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas base. Police speculated that it might have been part of a fresh shipment of weapons that came through an illegal port in the area.
There was no evacuation at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate during the police exercise but members of the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation’s Tactical Response Unit also set up road blocks searching for the suspect.
Many residents along Carli Bay Road were not fully informed of what was taking place either and some of them gathered along the roadside to see what was happening.
Snr Supt of the Central Division Jason Forde said up to late yesterday he was yet to get the details on the recovery as officers were still in the fields. Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre, meanwhile, said she was unaware of the grenade find near the estate when contacted.
Fresh security alerts
Last Thursday, staff and customers were evacuated from the Trincity, Long Circular and Gulf City Malls after a bomb threat was made to the Trincity Mall.
As a precaution, Gulf City and Long Circular Malls were evacuated, as there were already security concerns that were caused by several voice notes shared among Whatsapp users which warned citizens from visiting malls due to a pending planned ISIS attack.
One person was held for the bomb threat at Trincity Mall but he was later released. Security agencies are yet to detain anyone in connection with the voice notes.
The latest voice note warned of an attack against schools, particularly students writing the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations papers today.
But Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday assured parents and students that measures have been taken to ensure safety in schools.
On March 23, two men were injured when a grenade was thrown under a car where they and other friends were liming along Sixth Avenue, Malick, Barataria.
Police believe the attack was part of a turf war between the Rasta City and Muslims gangs. A report stated that around 10 pm, a group of men and women were standing near the basketball court when a Nissan AD wagon drove by and an occupant threw a grenade at the crowd.
Within seconds, the grenade exploded and Kristopher St Cyr, 20 and Ricardo Harewood, 29, were injured and taken to hospital. A nearby snackette and Harewood’s Mitsubishi Lancer were damaged by shrapnel.