Three schoolboys accused of 20 robbery offences will appear in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court this morning.Two of the students, ages 15 and 17, were arrested by officers of the Port-of-Spain CID during an anti-crime exercise in Port-of-Spain on Saturday afternoon. The exercise, which began on Saturday morning and ended at midday yesterday, was coordinated by ASP Ajith Persad.
The teens were identified as the suspects in six separate maxi-taxi robberies along the Priority Bus Route (PBR) in Beetham Gardens over the past two weeks.Police said the suspects committed the robberies by pretending to be commuters. After entering the maxi-taxi, the suspects robbed the driver and passengers before reaching the City Gate transportaion hub.The suspects, who are both students at secondary schools in Port-of-Spain, were each charged with six charges of armed robbery.
The third student was arrested by police last Wednesday after an early morning robbery at a pharmacy at Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.In that incident, three men reportedly entered DisDrugs around 7 am and robbed the business and eight employees and customers of almost $40,000. The men ran away but the 16-year-old suspect was arrested by police on mobile patrol in the area.
Investigators said the student lives in Laventille and is a form five student. Despite his age, the suspect has two pending matters in court for armed robbery, police said. The student was slapped with an individual charge for each victim from the pharmacy.Meanwhile, police also arrested three other robbery suspects who were wanted in connection with armed robberies which occurred last week. The suspects, all 21, of St James and Petit Valley, were charged with the offences and will also appear in court this morning
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The officers were also able to recover a stolen vehicle and arrest a suspect during a late night roadblock along Ariapita Avenue on Saturday. Four men were also held in that exercise for outstanding warrants for unpaid court fines.Police said similar weekend exercises are planned for the next few weeks with a greater emphasis being placed on delinquent drivers. Inspectors Mervyn Edwards and Rawle Ramdeo and Cpls Spence and Sirju were also involved in the exercise.