Three men are in custody as police search for the ringleader after the robbery of a San Fernando family on Monday.
The ordeal has left a 58-year-old fisherman, his son and another relative traumatised as the suspects escaped with the keys to the family vehicle. According to a report, the trio had just driven into the driveway of their Coconut Drive, San Fernando home around 11.20 pm.
As they walked to the front door, the gunmen pounced on them and pushed them into the house.
They were bound with plastic tie straps and a towel was thrown over the head of a family member as the bandits ransacked the house and stole $40,000, cell phones and a Samsung tablet. They tried to steal the family’s vehicles but could not get it to start. They drove off in their getaway vehicle a white Nissan Tiida.
Police was contacted and an All-Points Bulletin was issued for the car. Southern Division Task Force, San Fernando CID as well as units from Marabella, Mon Repos and Ste Madeleine responded and 12 roadblocks were set up throughout the city.
The team comprising of Cpl Bacchus, PCs Harripersad, Doray, Jacob, Acevero, Ragoonanan and Ragoonath caught the suspects driving out of the Embacadere buildings within 15 minutes of the robbery.
Ski masks, a phone, a tablet, keys for the vehicle and just over $5,000 were found in the car, but there were no guns. Investigators believe that they had just dropped off the main suspect, who they believed was involved in several robberies in the Southern Division within recent times.
Between last Thursday and Monday morning, Southern Division police conducted 16 anti-crime operations, which resulted in the seizure of a .45 calibre pistol, three 9 mm pistols, a .38 revolver, a 16-gauge shotgun and 46 rounds of assorted ammunition. Six people were arrested for those firearms and ammunition.
Overall, 110 people were arrested and 175 tickets were issued in the operations co-ordinated by Snr Supt Mohammed, Supt Pardasie, Supt Gaffar, ASP Mohammed, Insp Gajadhar, and Insp Ganga.