Police yesterday discovered a Convenca 12 gauge shotgun in a fig patch at Foodcrop Road, Chatham bearing the markings "Hecho De Venezuela" which means Made in Venezuela. It is one of several guns, cocaine and marijuana discovered in recent weeks bearing the marking of Venezuelan cartels.
In an interview yesterday, a source at the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit said the influx of Venezuelans into T&T have contributed to a rampant increase of illegal items in T&T.
Faced with severe food and medicinal shortages, Venezuelans are continuing to trade drugs, guns, ammunition and wildlife for food, the official added. Up to December last year, it was estimated that over 40,000 Venezuelans were living in T&T illegally and an average of 150 to 200 were coming in by boat legally through the ports of Cedros and Kings Wharf, San Fernando.
However, because of a shortage of manpower, police have been unable to monitor the coastlines adequately causing the contraband trade to flourish.
"Right now, pampers and baby milk are the hottest commodities fetching the highest price," the source said adding that although the southern region has several known smuggling spots where active surveillance is paid, the Unit is so severely understaffed that the fight to catch smugglers is an uphill battle.
He also said that the radar system which keeps 24-hour surveillance on the coast is so outdated that it is difficult to pinpoint the presence of smugglers.
"The radar is 24 hours operation. Unless you are not trained about accuracy of the radar all you will see a screen. You cannot identify the type of vessel that comes in. There are other sophisticated methods that the National Security Ministry knows about which can be utilized," the source said.
With regard to the manpower shortage, a former senior officer with the Customs and Excise department said the Cedros base is severely understaffed.
"We need manpower on the spot. Imagine an important station like Cedros doesn't have the capacity to deal with the influx of Venezuelans and Columbians. I cannot say if this is deliberate or not. It is suspicious. Why have the Cedros station so understaffed. Lots of money is spent on national security and the basic manpower constraints are not addressed," the official said.
He noted that apart from the Cedros region, illegal contraband comes through the Columbus Channel and also along the Gulf of Paria and in the northern regions of Las Cuevas where the waters are calm.
A resident of Cedros said yesterday that police have turned a blind eye to the contraband trade.
On Monday, residents saw a police corporal removing a load of illegal cargo from a blue Ford Ranger and a silver Lancer after it was abandoned at Hilltop Trace, Granville. The corporal is believed to have assisted in the escape of the smugglers who were being chased by another group of police.
The incident has been swept under the carpet and a 21-year-old woman who was arrested during the shoot-out was released without any charges even though villagers could have pinpointed her as being in company with the escaped smugglers.
Another resident of Icacos said that fishing in the seas was so risky that Venezuelans would often seize their catch and engines, leaving them to drift at sea. Officials at the T&T Coast Guard said they are continuing to monitor all activities off shore by doing frequent patrols around the border.
National Security Minister Edmund Dillon recently said that his ministry is utilising its coastal surveillance system and aircraft to stop illegal immigration. He said the government has established contact with coastal villages in Venezuela to monitor movements back and forth, adding that all illegal immigrants will be sent back.