[UPDATED] Detained suspects recently freed from prison –$40m Tobago drug bust

TWO MEN who were recently released from prison were held by Tobago police on December 2 with over $40 million in narcotics in a pirogue along Pigeon Point Road, Crown Point.

Police said this was the biggest drug bust in Tobago's history and was the result of painstaking investigations and surveillance over three-four days. There was also assistance from the Coast Guard.

The men – a 48-year-old from Marabella and a 30-year-old Tobagonian – were held with 231.7 kilos of marijuana, 13 kilos of cocaine, a Beretta M12 machine pistol, a Glock 17 pistol with automatic-firing selector, one customised Glock 19 pistol with automatic-firing selector and a quantity of ammunition.

According to police, Divisional Task Force officers went to Pigeon Point Road on Monday night, and saw two men loading what appeared to be kegs of fuel into an unregistered pirogue.

They detained the men, searched the boat in their presence, and found the illegal items.

The men were arrested and are expected to be charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking, possession of marijuana for trafficking and trafficking in firearms and ammunition.

The drug seizure was the second along Pigeon Point Road in the last two months. On October 7, police found $1.6 million in marijuana in a car parked in a dimly lit area.

Acting on a tip, police said they searched the white Nissan Tiida and found 29.7 kilos of marijuana.

DRUGS DESTINED FOR CARIBBEAN

At a media conference on December 3 at the Scarborough Police Station, Snr Supt Earl Elie said this drug bust has confirmed suspicions that Tobago is part of the transshipment route for illegal drugs.

"Intelligence suggests, this shipment was not destined for Tobago," Elie said.

"The destination should have been another Caribbean island in which those two gentlemen, based on intelligence, would have been recently released from prison after serving three years' imprisonment for similar offences."

He could not say where the narcotics originated but said they passed through Trinidad before arriving in Tobago.

"That tells us something we would have always suspected. Tobago is a transshipment route for narcotics. This is the proof."

He said Trinidadians are working with Tobagonians to commit crimes in Tobago.

"We are saying not just in the narcotics trade, but all the other offences: robberies, larceny – the majority of crimes detected for the past month would have included Trinidadians."

While pleased with the work of his officers, Elie said there was nothing to boast about.

"There is no boasting in finding this quantity of narcotics. There is satisfaction in knowing he have arrested two perpetrators. It has confirmed for us what we have suspected for a long time."

Elie said this is not the Tobago he knows, and he hopes Tobago can return to a place where people can enjoy their lives free from the scourge of crime.

He then had a warning for all criminals.

"Tobago is no longer a safe haven for you. First of all, I want to ask you all to stop committing crimes, and most importantly, don't commit crimes in Tobago. Those people hell-bent on committing those offences, you are not welcome in Tobago – stay where you are."

He urged Tobagonians to continue to help the police by tipping them off on criminal activities.

He said police are employing a holistic approach to fighting crime, "starting from community policing to the hardcore aspect of it: crime prevention, intervention and crime suppression."

'SHOCKING QUANTITY'

Deputy Chief Secretary Faith BYisrael said she was surprised to see the quantity of drugs passing through Tobago. She told Newsday, "It's just good to see the police being somewhat pro-active in these matters.

"It is also shocking to see the quantity of drugs that were found. It shows there is a huge market, one that is probably way bigger than the little boys and little girls you see involved. I'm sure the average man on the ground doesn't have $40 million.
"It causes you to think a little bit differently about this entire thing.

"I am hoping the police will continue doing their job and we will work together to get it done."

Asked whether she hoped the arrests could lead to more information on others involved, she said, "Certainly. I have no addresses for who was held, but I am hoping that would lead us to a bigger climb up the organisation or syndicates or whatever they are."

BYisrael said she was relieved to see no murders on the island in November, just the second month without a killing in 2024. Despite a record 25 murders for the year, the island has gone its longest stretch without a murder – over 40 days.

"I have noticed that there has been a lull. I pray that the lull continues and it's a concerted decline and not just a dip, because Tobago is not the place that is used to those volume of murders. I welcome it and pray that it keeps that way and we go into 2025 that way and we keep 2025 that way."

THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?

Tobago Business Chamber chairman Martin George said he was pleased to see the haul by police, but not surprised.

"It would be naive to be surprised at the quantity, because this might actually be the tip of the iceberg; because once you see the level of crime and criminality occurring in Tobago over the past few months, it's clear that some of it has to be fuelled by illegal guns and illegal drugs. A find of this nature just indicates, possibly, that there is a whole lot more lurking below the surface."

He said the chamber is happy to support the police, and urged them to keep up the fight.

George, a director at Crime Stoppers, said the organisation recently held a round-the-island caravan encouraging the public to call 800-TIPS to report criminal activities. He said calls are 100 per cent anonymous.

"You could never be traced. Nobody would know that you made a report. It's completely safe, completely anonymous. Even collecting your reward can be done anonymously.

"We have an all-hands-on-deck approach in terms of the fight against crime in Tobago, and we want to ensure that we will never see as bloody a year as in 2024."

This story was originally published with the title "Over $40m in drugs, guns seized in Tobago" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

TWO men were arrested and over $40 million in narcotics seized by Tobago police on December 2 in one of the biggest drug busts on the island.

A quantity of guns and ammunition were also seized.

In an interview with Newsday on December 3, Insp Alicia Piggott said the arrests and seizure were owing to intelligence and surveillance by police.

She said Division Task Force officers went to Pigeon Point Road in the night, where they saw two men loading what appeared to be kegs of fuel on an unregistered pirogue.

Police held the men and searched the boat in their presence.

They found 231.7 kilos of marijuana, 13 kilos of cocaine, one Beretta M12 machine pistol, one Glock 17 pistol with automatic-firing selector, one customised Glock 19 pistol with automatic-firing selector and a quantity of ammunition.

The men were taken into custody.

Investigations are continuing.