4 arrested after ODPM break-in on Christmas morning

FOUR men are in custody after an early-morning break-in at the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management’s (ODPM) Mausica office on Christmas.

A police media release said officers from the Northern Division intercepted the suspects shortly after they fled the scene in a car at around 2.20 am. A quantity of mattresses and white plastic tables belonging to the ODPM were recovered.

The suspects are from Beetham Gardens, Arima and Barataria, and are between the ages of 25-43.

“Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander joined the Task Force and Arima Criminal Investigations Department officers on the ground during the operation,” the TTPS release said.

In a statement issued hours later, the ODPM condemned the break-in at its storage facility and thanked Alexander and the police for their response.

The ODPM said there were previous incidents in December with storage containers, housing relief and emergency response supplies being stolen on multiple occasions.

“These criminal acts targeted assets intended for national disaster preparedness and emergency response. These resources are essential to protect lives, communities and critical infrastructure. Such actions represent a direct attack on the safety and resilience of the nation and will not be treated lightly,” the TTPS release said.

Issuing his own statement, which was within the ODPM’s release, Alexander said, “This successful operation is a testament to the vigilance, professionalism and commitment of the police. Crime does not take a holiday, and neither do our security agencies.

“We will continue to pursue those who threaten public safety and national resilience and we will ensure that those responsible are brought before the courts. This government takes crime seriously and we will act decisively to protect the people and institutions of TT.”

In an unrelated incident, after investigating reports of a robbery, Western Division police arrested a man in Diego Martin for possession of a gun loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine.

The suspect is 21.

The investigation was led by Snr Supt Williams and acting ASP Aguillera.