GANGLORD ARRESTED

HOURS after Police Commissioner Gary Griffith warned criminals saying he was prepared for anything they could dish out, a man described as the head of a Port of Spain gang and a high-priority suspect in several gang-related killings was arrested yesterday afternoon.

Senior police confirmed that heavily armed officers went to the man's home at around 3 pm but he was not there. Members of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) remained in the area and a few minutes later, spotted and arrested the 37-year-old man at a house on Main Street, Beetham Gardens.

He was taken to the Port of Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on St Vincent Street where he was questioned in relation to over $300,000 that was found during a raid at a house in the Beetham on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said that given the man's status as a ganglord, it was unlikely he would be charged anytime soon as he is expected to be interviewed by several agencies in relation to a number of different offences.

With the arrest, police sources confirmed that security has been heightened at all police stations and there were plans to move the suspect from the PoS CID head-office to another station in order to keep his associates guessing as to where he is being held.

The man is said to be the head of a gang which has for years been warring with a rival gang over control of drug turf, prostitution rings and other illegal activities in and around the nation's capital.

Speaking yesterday morning at a press conference at Police Administration building on Sackville Street, Griffith issued a stern warning to all criminals, declaring he was undaunted by their threats and said the police are prepared to defend themselves and the public against any attack.

"No gang or institution in this country is more powerful than the TT Police Service! We will do what is required. I wish to advise the public and let the media be aware, that if any of them (criminals) put God past their thoughts this time around...I am waiting on them. We will be going in with several vans and if they are so in love with their gang leaders, they will be going in with them."

He said the major police operation on Wednesday in Laventille and the Beetham, which coincided with the TTPS being put on Red Alert, came in response to information that there was a “credible threat”, where people with known gang affiliation were plotting multiple murders.

The TTPS was on a similar high-level of alert last year around, also around Carnival, after receiving intel that there were plans to disrupt the reign of the Merry Monarch. Several people including those from a religious sect, were arrested during the run up to Carnival last year.

For his part, ACP in charge of crime Jayson Forde confirmed that gang leaders were among those arrested during the operation on Wednesday.

“We had clinical exercises which were evidence-led and all station districts involved. A total of 27 persons were arrested and key in those arrests were several gang leaders who were plotting to create mayhem. Those people have been detained and are in custody,” ACP Forde said.

Throughout yesterday, members of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) maintained a visible presence in areas throughout Laventille to ensure law and order was maintained.