San Fernando CID arrested five members of a suspected robbery gang on Wednesday who has been targeting small businesses for the past month.
Investigators said the gang included two women who would go into the businesses under the pretence of making appointments in order to assess the entrances, exits and access to cash.
They would then pass on the information to their male accomplices who would then storm the businesses with guns to rob the customers and owners. In recent weeks, a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, a spa and massage parlour were robbed by the same gang. One of the women told police that she was employed as a geriatric nurse.
After a week of intelligence gathering, Insp Don Gajadhar coordinated an operation which saw Cpl Williams, Cpl Ramroop, Cpl Nanan, PC Maharaj and PC Ramcharit swooping down on a La Romaine community and the Embacadere building development. One of the male suspects, who works as a gravedigger, was found with a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver that was loaded with three rounds of ammunition. Investigators believe this was one of the weapons used in the string of robberies.
The suspects, who ages range from 27 to 36, were arrested and were still being questioned up to yesterday. They are expected to be placed on several identification parades this week. Later on, the officers continued with an anti-crime exercise and arrested nine people for possession of cocaine and marijuana.