Police probe jailbreak plot linked to arms cache

SENIOR police officers believe the gun and police paraphernalia seized last Friday was part of a plot to break criminals out of jail, as well as to commit other serious organised crime.

Sources told Sunday Newsday was told that judging from the items seized, intelligence officers believe that there was something more sinister going on than a drug dealer protecting his turf.

On Friday police and Customs officials seized 30 guns and 762 rounds of assorted ammunition. The items were all being smuggled into TT via a legitimate port of entry and were stopped at Piarco Airport.

The authorities seized 15 high-powered rifles, 13 pistols, a revolver and a shotgun as well as an assortment of ammunition.

Included in the hail were four police sirens, four sets of police blue lights, a bulletproof vest, six black balaclavas, similar to those used by elite units of the protective services and a packet of pills believed to be ecstasy.

Police believe the police lights, balaclavas and bulletproof vests were to be used to criminals evade roadblocks if their escape plans went awry.

Contacted on the possible plot, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said: "I can't comment on national security issues."

Sunday Newsday also contacted Prisons Commissioner Dennis Pulchan, who said he was unaware of any plot by inmates to escape his prisons.

"I don't see how this is linked to prisons,” he said. “The intelligence agencies may have that information, but I have not been briefed on that."

He added that his prisons have been relatively quiet.

In 2015 three men broke out of the Port of Spain prison, in what was later revealed to be a well-planned escape, which police knew about in advance but were unable to stop. The three inmates ­– Hassan Atwell, Allan "Scanny" Martin and Christopher "Monster" Selby ­– forced their way out of the prison on July 24. Theywere allegedly armed with two pistols and a hand grenade. They ordered prison officers to open the gate and a Nissan Navara was allegedly waiting for them outside.

Martin was killed in a shootout with police in the security booth at the Port of Spain General Hospital minutes after he bolted. Less than 24 hours after escaping, Atwell was killed in Laventille. Selby managed to elude capture for two days. then surrendered to police.

During the escape, PC Sherman Maynard , 27, was killed. Maynard was sitting in a police jeep outside the prison and the escapees shot him.

Selby, who was already on a murder charge before the alleged escape, was later charged with Maynard's murder along with escaping lawful custody. Those matters are still before the courts.

In a media release last Friday, police said they had received information from their international partners about the shipment of arms and ammo since March 15 and had been on the alert.

Last Thursday DCP Mc Donald Jacob said TT is being assisted by US agencies – the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit (ATF) and Homeland Security – with regard to seizing guns. He said coming out of a regional security meeting held two weeks ago, both entities offered support to TT and the wider Caribbean for battling gun-related offences.

Friday's seizure came days after another in which Customs seized nine rifle magazines, 11 pistol magazines, one AR-15 butt, one AR-15 barrel, and three pistol slides, and a revolver. A 28-year-old Tacarigua man is assisting in investigations into that find.