Investigators say an arrest is imminent in relation to the larceny of a backhoe from Cunupia which occurred on Monday 12th April 2021. According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), this follows the recovery of a JCB 3CX model backhoe, by Officers of the Central Division’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), with the assistance of the Cunupia CID and Officers of the Northern Division Task Force.

The anti-crime exercise was conducted in Arima, between 11am and 4pm, on Thursday 15th April 2021. During the exercise, Officers proceeded to Arima Old Road, where they found and took into their possession, the piece of heavy machinery.

Meanwhile, Officers of the Central Division Task Force, Area North, recovered a vehicle which was used in the commission of a robbery with violence against a woman on Thursday 15th April 2021.

Following the report, Officers conducted an exercise in St. Joseph and Morvant, between the hours of 10:30am and 8pm, and proceeded to Quarry Road, St. Joseph, where they conducted a search of a public bin and recovered a bag and one (1) work identification card belonging to the victim.

The Officers then proceeded to Lady Young Road, Morvant, where they found the vehicle used by the suspects to make their escape following the robbery.

Investigations are ongoing.

A Police Officer was shot and wounded and the suspect killed in a shooting incident in Maraval last night (Monday 12th April 2021). According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), members of the Western Division Task Force were conducting an exercise at Tancabean Trace, Maraval, when they were fired upon by the occupant of a house.

In the process, PC Frith of the Western Division Task Force, was shot and wounded. Police Officers returned fire which resulted in the suspect, Nathan Emmanuel Paul, alias “Plaits”, 22, being wounded.

Both PC Frith and Paul were taken to Hospital for treatment. Paul, who lived at Faustin Trace, Maraval, was pronounced dead on arrival, while PC Frith is reported to be in a stable condition. A firearm was recovered at the scene of the shooting (photo above). Investigations are continuing. Paul had been charged with several offences and was out on bail.

They included:

• Possession of a firearm and ammunition on 20th June 2020.
• Attempted murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm and ammunition to endanger life, on 7th April 2020.

Paul was a suspect in several reports:

• Robbery with violence at KFC, Maraval, on 8th April 2021.
• Robbery with aggravation at Bowen Street, Maraval, on 27th February 2021.
• Robbery with violence at the Retirees Society Club, Maraval, on 20th February 2021.
• Assault with intent to rob Fei Wong Chinese Restaurant, Maraval, on 19th March 2021.
• Arson in May 2020 at Maraval.

Two (2) Police Officers appeared virtually before Senior Magistrate (Ag) Brambhanan Dubay at the Arima First Magistrates’ Court on Friday (9th April 2021), after they were both charged with three (3) counts of misbehaviour in public office.

According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), PC Reynold Lahkan and PC Sherwin Salandy, both attached to the Northern Division, Emergency Response Patrol Unit, were each granted $150,000 bail with a surety to be approved by the Registrar of the Supreme Court or a cash alternative of $25,000.

PC Lakhan was represented by Attorney Cordell Salandy, while PC Salandy, who was also charged with indecent assault, was represented by Attorney Naveen Maharaj.

The matter was adjourned to Friday 7th May 2021.

A Princes Town man appeared virtually before Magistrate Indira Misir-Gosine at the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (6th April 2021), charged with the wasteful employment of the Police.

Junior Ali, 21, pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $1,000 or in default, three (3) months’ hard labour.

According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the accused alleged that around 11am on Monday 29th March 2021, he was walking along Begonia Avenue, Princes Town, when a black Nissan Tiida vehicle stopped alongside him. Ali claimed that there were two (2) men in the vehicle. He said the man who was seated in the back seat pointed a firearm at him and ordered him into the vehicle.

The accused claimed that he was taken against his will to a bushy area, fifty (50) feet off Railway Reserve Road. Ali alleged that he was dealt several blows with the gun-butt on his head, causing injury. The men allegedly tied Ali to a tree, relieved him of $3,700, before they escaped. Ali reported that he later managed to free himself and ran to safety.

PC Ali and WPC Hamilton visited the scene and conducted initial enquiries. Personnel of the Princes Town CID, spearheaded by Sgt Teeluck, conducted further enquiries and subsequently arrested and formally charged the accused with the wasteful employment of the Police.

A Chaguanas man was remanded into custody when he appeared before a Chaguanas Magistrate charged with cultivation of marijuana. Nazim Mohammed, 41, of Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, was charged with the offence when he appeared in the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday 6th April 2021.

The matter was adjourned to 4th May 2021.

According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the accused was arrested by Officers of the Central Division Task Force (CDTF), Area North, during an anti-crime exercise conducted around 3pm on Monday 5th April 2021.

During the exercise, Officers executed a search warrant at the home of the accused, which resulted in several marijuana trees and seedlings being reportedly discovered in a room on the ground floor of the premises.

Mohammed was arrested and the marijuana seized. He was charged on Monday 5th April 2021 by Officers of the CDTF.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch issued 660 tickets and arrested fifteen (15) drivers between Good Friday (2nd April 2021) and Easter Monday (5th April 2021).

According to the TTPS, ten (10) of the arrests led to charges of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after breathalyser tests revealed alcohol levels over the prescribed limit of thirty-five (35) microgrammes. Four (4) people were also arrested and charged for driving a motor vehicle without a Driver’s License. Another driver was arrested and charged for Driving While Disqualified after checks revealed he had exceeded the number of Demerit Points and had been disqualified from driving.

503 of the fixed penalty notices were issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit. 157 were issued for various traffic violations including failing to wear a seatbelt, holding or using a cell phone, defective tyres, no certificate of insurance, and no tail lights.

The twenty (20) road traffic enforcement exercises were led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Specialized Support along with Senior Superintendent, Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch, Mr. Wayne Mystar.

There were no road traffic fatalities reported over the long weekend and there was a 38% reduction in road deaths nationwide. Snr Supt Mystar, although pleased with these statistics, expressed disappointment that there was a continued lack of adherence to speed limits. “Seventy-six percent of the tickets issued to drivers by my Officers were for exceeding the speed limit! That is unacceptable. Drivers must understand that speed control is a critical part of ensuring roadway safety and breaking speed limits is tantamount to recklessness and selfish behaviour and will not be tolerated by the Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch.”

TTPS Road Safety Coordinator, Sgt Brent Batson, also added that there was a growing tendency for drivers to increase their speed at night when there was less traffic on the nation’s roadways. This has led to the Branch ramping up its speed enforcement exercises at night. This weekend, 30% of the speeding tickets issued were during night speed detection exercises. “Sadly we are still detecting drivers exceeding the speed limits by very dangerous ranges, in some cases as high as 160 Kilometres per hour, which can almost certainly result in death or serious injury should a driver lose control or be involved in a crash.”

He also took the opportunity to remind drivers that the number of Demerit Points issued for speeding increased incrementally based on the rate of speed recorded. Speeds exceeding the limit by 31 kilometres per hour or more, could result in a fine of $3,000 and six (6) Demerit Points.

The weekend’s exercises included Officers from the Traffic Branch Headquarters, Northern, Central, and South, and the Road Policing Task Force (RPTF).