Police seize 10 guns, arrest 12 suspects

POLICE operations in several parts of the country over the last 24 hours have resulted in the recovery of ten guns and the arrest of 12 suspects.

This information was contained in a statement issued by the police on February 3.

The statement said these operations are in keeping with Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher's mandate to remove illegal guns from the streets and reduce criminal violence.

A 22-year-old man from Claxton Bay man is expected to be charged for possession of a firearm and ammunition following an exercise in the Central Division.

Around 8.30 pm on Friday, officers of the Central Division Task Force (Area South) stopped a car during a roadblock along Diamond Road, Claxton Bay.

While searching the front seat passenger, they allegedly found a black and silver pistol with nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. He was arrested and taken to the Couva Police Station.

Officers also allegedly found a Smith and Wesson revolver with six rounds of ammunition during the search at a residence in Calcutta #3, Freeport.

Two men were arrested during the operation.

Nine people were arrested in the Southern Division. Three men were charged for drug-related offences.

Around 11.30 pm, officers on patrol along the Solomon Hochoy Highway near Gasparillo, stopped a car with six Venezuelan nationals.

A search of the vehicle allegedly revealed a blue plastic bag located in the centre console with a pistol and revolver.

The vehicle’s six occupants were taken to the Marabella Police Station. Four of the men were arrested for the offence of trafficking in firearms. The other two were identified as illegal immigrants.

Officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force, Guard and Emergency Branch, and Canine Unit conducted a crime eradication operation between 9 pm and 11.45 pm in the Port of Spain Division which targeted known drug blocks in East Port of Spain.

Around 9.45 pm, PC Balbosa searched an open area on the northern side of the John John Basketball court. He allegedly found a Glock 17 pistol fitted with an extended magazine. The magazine contained 22 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition.

Officers of the Morvant Criminal Investigations Department also recovered two Glock pistols during an anti-crime exercise under a stairwell of a building in Paradise Heights, Morvant.

There were additional exercises in the North Eastern Division in the Morvant and Barataria districts, between 11 pm on Friday and 2 am on Saturday.

While conducting an extensive search of a drain along Williams Street, Aranguez, Cpl George observed a grey coloured plastic bag tucked inside a hole in the drain with a gun.

Western Division officers also recovered a Glock 17 during an exercise at a residence on Dundonald Hill, St James. While interviewing a man at the home, officers allegedly observed a firearm on the bed. When questioned about the firearm the man ran down a track outside of the premises and escaped. A Glock 17 pistol fitted with a magazine loaded with five rounds of 9mm was allegedly retrieved.

In an exercise codenamed Operation Dragon Fly, in the North Central Division between noon and 6 pm officers went to a forested area along Spring Road, Five Rivers.

They searched a wooden and galvanized shed they observed in the area and allegedly found a black and silver pistol with a magazine wrapped in several black plastic bags.

Investigations into all these matters are ongoing.