Three held over guns, ganja, 39 illegal Venezuelans

Over the weekend South Western Division police arrested two Venezuelans and another man in a car with six shotguns and compressed marijuana in Penal.

Shortly after, police went to the Morne Diablo beach, where they found 39 Venezuelans, including women and children. They said the illegal migrants had earlier disembarked from a boat and their clothes were soaked. But the captain and his crew had left before police arrived.

In the first incident, police under the supervision of ASP Ramdeen and Sgts Gannesh and Jaggernath went to Penal Rock Road on Saturday night. Shortly after 12 am on Sunday, they intercepted the car at Morne Diablo.

Officers, including Cpls Carter and Prince, searched the car, found the guns and 17 kilogrammes of marijuana and arrested the three men in the car.

On further investigation, police went to the beach and found the migrants. The youngest, police said, is a baby about two months old. They appeared hungry and very tired, police said.

Police called for back-up and arrested and took the migrants to various police stations in the division. The migrants are to be handed over to the Immigration Department.

South Western Division Task Force, Siparia CID and Penal police assisted.