Trinidad and Tobago: Robbery foiled and another solved by police on active direct patrol

Trinidad and Tobago: Three suspects have been arrested, a firearm was seized, and a stolen vehicle recovered as officers operating under the active patrol grid system foiled a robbery in Maraval yesterday.

According to police reports, around 12:50 pm on 11 October 2022, Cpl Purcell, PC Mc Millan and WPC Cabie were in a police vehicle, proceeding south along Saddle Road, Maraval. Upon approaching Vallot Street, Maraval, they observed two men, one armed with a firearm, placing their hands in the pockets of a man in a violent manner. This raised the officers’ suspicion; they stopped, exited the vehicle, approached the suspects and announced themselves as police officers. Upon seeing the officers, both suspects then ran east along Vallot Street in an attempt to escape.

The officers gave chase, and during a coordinated effort with members of the St Clair Criminal Investigations Department (CID), St Clair Police Station, and Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard led by Captain Weeks, they apprehended three suspects.

Suspect #1 was apprehended in a white Nissan B14 motor vehicle. While Suspects #2 and #3 were apprehended in an abandoned house located at Harold Street, Boissiere Village, Maraval. Another suspect, #4, escaped by exiting the said vehicle and running in an unknown direction.

PC Mc Millan searched suspect #1 and found a firearm tucked on the right side of the waist of his pants along with a cell phone; however, nothing illegal was found on the other two suspects. Sgt Bowen made the said firearm safe and found same to be one Springfield Armory USA pistol which was fitted with one magazine and 15 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition.

WPC Lewis and PC Harris of the Crime Scene Investigation processed the scene and took photographs; they also seized one envelope containing documents belonging to the victim along with several other items belonging to the suspects.

Enquiries revealed that the white Nissan B14 motor vehicle carried false number plates. The vehicle was examined by the Stolen Vehicle Squad, which revealed that the same was registered as a “hired” taxi. The vehicle was found to be owned by a woman from Santa Cruz that was the subject of a Robbery with Aggravation incident, which occurred on 14 August 2022, in the Barataria Police district.

Enquiries are continuing, said Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.