65 charged 3 weeks after Chaguaramas party cruise bust

SIXTY-FIVE people were charged for breaching covid19 public health regulations after police intercepted a pleasure boat in Chaguaramas on January 3, and found a party in full swing onboard.

A police release on Wednesday said officers of the Coastal and Riverine Patrol Unit (CRPU) did surveillance at Alcan Bay at 11 pm on January 2.

Officers observed  vehicles entering the area and men and women all dressed for a party. The people boarded a pirogue at different intervals which was making trips back and forth to an unknown location at sea.

The police later saw a white 44-foot catamaran sailing west off Pt Gourde with a large group of people on board being served drinks and dancing to music.

The police later intercepted and boarded the vessel which was then escorted to Coast Guard Headquarters at Staubles Bay.

With the assistance of Coast Guard personnel, they searched the vessel and a head count showed that 65 people were on board. In a stairwell compartment, one Sig Sauer pistol fitted with a magazine containing ten rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition was found.

The 65 were taken to the Carenage Police Station where they were interviewed and released pending further investigations.

The release added that all 65 were subsequently charged with gathering in excess of the ten person limit in breach of the Public Health Ordinance Regulations 2021 Section (3).

The captain and a woman were also charged for holding a public party contrary to Regulation 4(1) (b) of the Public Health Ordinance Regulation 2021 Section (3). The 65 were charged by way of summons.