Six guns, 56 arrested in day one of SoE

Police officers attached to the Inter-Agency Task Force and the National Operations Task Force were among several officers who did joint operations in Port of Spain on July 18, the first day of the state of emergency.

As part of the overall success during 104 operations, 629 searches were done, 407 traffic offences were detected during roadblocks and 56 people were arrested. Police said the operations were part of a strategic plan targeting people affiliated with organised criminal syndicates and gangs operating across multiple divisions, according to a police statement on July 19.

Officers recovered six guns, ranging from pistols, a revolver, a shotgun and a rifle, in addition to the seizure of 33 rounds of ammunition. These recoveries reflect the police's focus on dismantling armed gangs and neutralising the threat they pose to public safety, the statement added.

In Cocorite, a high-powered rifle loaded with ten (10) rounds of ammunition was seized by officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch on July 18.

A team of officers searched several homes in the Waterhole area of Cocorite between 6 pm and 9 pm.

During the operation, the officers heard gunshots which led them to a bushy area behind Building Four near a mosque, where they found a loaded rifle hidden under a sheet of galvanize. Police said an arrest is imminent. The firearm was taken to the Forensic Science Centre for ballistic testing, as investigations continue, police said.

In a separate raid, around 4.20 am on July 19, officers of the South-Western Divisional Task Force, West, went to a bar located along the Point Fortin Main Road when they found a gun hidden under a toilet tank cover.

The weapon, along with seven rounds of .380 ammunition, was taken for forensic testing.

Operations were also carried out by the Joint Operations Task Force in the Belmont and Gonzales areas on July 18, targeting known hotspots including Fairfax Lane, Palmiste Street, Dennis Street, and Belmont Valley Road.

Multiple searches were executed at these locations, but no illegal items were recovered In addition, numerous abandoned buildings and vacant lots throughout the Belmont and Gonzales areas were thoroughly searched. Several individuals were profiled and searched.

No illegal items were found or seized during the exercise.