Senior cop: Gangs bribing, intimidating state officials in illegal quarrying schemes

Without pointing to any one state agency or institution, Snr Supt Kerwin Francis of the Northern Division said on Thursday, corrupt officials are responsible for giving leverage to gangs engaged in illegal quarrying.

He believes the violent tendencies of these gangs have used a combination of bribery and intimidation to get their continued support.

At the weekly police media briefing at the Police Administration Building, Sackville Street, Port of Spain, Francis said illegal quarrying, like drug trafficking, and competition for state contracts, was a lucrative criminal enterprise which often led to bloody turf wars.

He said while the prevalence of illegal quarrying in recent times happened mainly in the Eastern Division, at least one gang from the Northern Division has been involved in the activity which made him aware of the mechanics behind the scheme.

He also said the involvement of corrupt officials in quarrying schemes made police action difficult, given the nature of the activity which often required co-operation between different entities.

"From our information, there are corrupt state officials involved – not only within the TTPS because we know that is an issue that arises – but also in the other entities that are charged with the responsibility of managing and controlling state lands. There is that propensity and ability for these individuals to reach out to them to cause them not to act.

"In furtherance to that, because of their ability to commit acts of violence, some of these state officials are afraid to act, and so when you seek to engage them to get co-operation you might get some sort of delay in their actions."

Francis said one of the agencies needed to partner with the police in clamping down on illegal quarrying was the Commissioner of State Lands which has the authority to evict illegal occupants.

"They (the commissioner) have powers that give them the ability to go onto these lands and cause these persons to stop their activities and have them ejected through the courts.

"So there is a mechanism in place in law to treat with it, but it requires a robust approach by all state entities involved."