Three criminologists yesterday expressed shock over a disturbing video of gang leaders displaying sophisticated guns as they called on the Government and Opposition to hold a high-level emergency meeting to work out a national policy on the public safety threats from gangs, murders and terrorism.
The call was made by Prof Ramesh Deosaran, Darius Figueira and Ian Ramdhanie hours after the T&T Guardian published a front page article, titled “Exposed.” The video, shared on WhatsApp, identified Rasta City gang leaders from Beetham Gardens, Sea Lots, Maloney, Port-of-Spain, Maracas, Point Fortin and Caroni, among other areas, displaying a variety of weapons, including Mac 10s, Uzis, Tec-9s, Ak47s and AR15 rifles.
A soundtrack accompanying the video describes methods of murder, including the dumping of bodies in Caroni. It also shows a decapitated corpse with what appears to be bullet wounds to the chest area.
The video is now being probed by the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit (CGIU) and Strategic Services Agency, as they gather information on suspected criminals.
Yesterday, Figueira said what caught his attention was the arsenal the gang leaders had in their possession, in particular the US-manufactured AR15 rifle.
“That is not a common weapon. You cannot access it as easy as AK 47,” he said, adding T&T now has the highest seizures of AR15 rifles in the gang chain after Puerto Rico.
“The question that arises is that we have a new network that is smuggling these sophisticated assault rifles from the US into the Caribbean. This is not good news for us. We are under threat from this gun smuggling ring. It’s frightening.”
Noting that the AR15 rifle had been used in the killing of gang leader Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, Figueira said that weapon was the preferred choice of the Mexican cartel.
“When you can become linked to this network that is moving weaponry and ammunition from the US to the Caribbean and you are hooked into it, where you can display pictures of yourself and powerful guns, the impunity that you are enjoying in jail is like a vacation.”
He said the video sent a strong message to the Government that that was the level the gang members were willing to go.
“In the underworld the video is calling out the Government,” he added.
Figueira appealed to the Government and Opposition to join hands to fight the criminal elements, saying that while they were bickering, citizens were caught in the middle of the crossfire.
Deosaran repeated his appeal to the authorities to examine how and why so many black youths persistently drifted from the secondary education system into serious crimes and gang warfare.
He added: “The regrettable delays and denials over this criminogenic phenomenon are creating havoc with public safety, as well as costly losses within our young generation.
“I can do no more now than to encourage the authorities not only to enforce the law but to stop this tragic haemorrhage in our education system.”
He said it was time for the country’s political directorate to address seriously the areas of serious crimes, terrorism and education particularly.
“In the present circumstances, a public interest imperative now is for the Government and Opposition to hold a high-level emergency meeting to work out a national policy consensus over the public safety threats from gangs, murders, terrorism and the required institutional responses required,” he added.
Saying the country could not continue along this path, Deosaran said the last time the former prime minister Patrick Manning-led government and the Basdeo Panday-led Opposition met on crime and law enforcement the results did not work well.
“Let’s hope there is now a higher wisdom from that experience, especially since the public safety challenges have grown more seriously.
“Looking for quick magic or overnight solutions will not work. I well know the constitutional role of the Government and the Opposition but with the country bleeding as it is now, there is still room for statesmanship.
The reputed video and its contents are just another symptom of things yet to come,” Deosaran warned.
Bottomless pit
Principal of the Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety, Ian Ramdhanie, said the number of guns circulating in the country was unprecedented and worrying.
He added: “Yes, the police have been making raids and recovering firearms and ammunition but it seems that there is a bottomless pit from which these guns are coming. The video is just a snippet, a minuscule idea of what really exists out there.
“We need answers as to how come these high-powered weapons are so easily available, who pays for the guns and with what currency? Where does the money go? Which institutions are involved?”
He appealed to the Government and Opposition to work in tandem to win the war on crime.
“But given our adversarial nature of opposition politics, I will not be surprised if this doesn’t happen. The pressure must then come from civil society and voters from all sides who want decisive action to deal with crime.
“We also need badly the provision of referendum that can get national consensus on what may be termed controversial crime-fighting strategies like the death penalty,” he added.
President of the T&T Police Social and Welfare Association, Michael Seales, admitted that while the police have been seizing a number of guns, not many people were arrested and charged. He said holders of these illegal guns have tremendous difficulty in acquiring ammunition but the gun trade was just as thriving as the drug trade.
“No longer are firearms being retained for the protection of the drugs itself... but it now has a firearm trade that is taking place in the country,” he said.
Seales said videos of gang members that have gone viral have helped the CGUI.
“It gives you enough information to obtain a search warrant. I can say that the CGUI and Cyber Crime Unit have seen some measure of success when a video goes viral, you almost after a time see some measure of results,” he said.