Police arrest three, seize guns as Operation Festive Shield begins

HOURS after the police launched its Operation Festive Shield, it began bearing fruit with three men, including a foreign national, being arrested and two guns seized.

Operation Festive Shield is the codename for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s (TTPS) Christmas and Carnival crime prevention plan launched on November 14.

The anti-crime plan was launched with walkabouts by senior members of the TTPS and local government officials in Arima, Tunapuna and San Juan.

In the first incident, Central Division Task Force officers carried out an anti-crime operation between 1 pm-7 pm on November 15. This was co-ordinated by Snr Supt Bhagwandeen, spearheaded by Supt Fitzworme, ASP Reyes and Insp Francis, and led by Sgt Samuel and acting Cpl Joseph.

They searched the homes of several priority offender residence under Regulation 12 of the Emergency Powers Regulation 2025. During a search of a house at Perseverance Road, Couva, police held a 39-year-old man for possession of 68 grams of marijuana.

A homeless man, believed to be an illegal immigrant, was also held during the operation.

Officers also raided suspected drug blocks in Couva and Carlsen Field, and searched various makes and models of cars known to be used in criminal activities, but found nothing illegal.

The officers then went to a bushy area near the Carli Bay public cemetery and, with the help of the K9 unit, found a black plastic bag with a handgun and four packets of marijuana weighing 75 grams, hidden under some bushes.

In another exercise, under Operation Festive Shield, and later that evening, police went to a house on Ballantyne Street, Arouca where officers were met by a 25-year-old man.

They searched the house and found a gun with 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition hidden in the ceiling of a bedroom.

This prompted them to search the ceiling of the rest of the house, and they found a black box containing 13 additional rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The man was arrested and taken to the Arima Police Station.

The exercise was co-ordinated by ACP Singh, Snr Supt Maynard Wilson, Supt McKenzie, ASP Morales, ASP Ablacksingh and Insp Estrada, and was supervised by Sgt Ramai who is continuing enquiries.

During the launch of Operation Festive Shield last Friday in Arima, mayor Balliram Maharaj told Newsday at its launch he was happy with the initiative and expects it will have a positive effect on crime-fighting in the borough.

He anticipated it will reduce crime as he noted technology being used by police will lead to a safer Arima.

“The good thing is with technology, now, you can watch people from the sky. We can know what is happening in Arima right through and that makes it easy. We can follow cars for example throughout the area.

He called on the public to co-operate with police if the downward trend in crime is to continue.

“We need intelligence from the people. Send it through crime stoppers and any other channel. That is the only way it could work. Police are well-equipped, but they need the information and if they don’t get it the criminals will have the upper hand.”