The Police Service is reporting that a total of 13 firearms have been taken off the streets and out of the hands of the criminal elements over the past four days.
An official statement from the TTPS says between Friday 5 and Sunday 7 August 2022, a total of nine firearms were seized in a series of coordinated anti-crime exercises.
“Following these successes, more diligent and dedicated intelligence-driven work by officers in several Divisions yesterday (Monday 8 August 2022), resulted in the seizure of four more firearms and the arrest of six persons, during sustained anti-crime exercises across the country,” the TTPS statement confirmed.
According to the Police Service, in the first early morning exercise conducted between 3 am and 9 am on Monday, officers of the North Central Division Task Force (Area West) proceeded to Valsayn Trace, St. Joseph.
There, they conducted a search of a basketball court in the area that resulted in the discovery of one Beretta pistol and a quantity of cocaine at the base of the basketball ring.
Two persons, a 26-year-old and a 22-year-old, both of St. Joseph were also arrested for varying offences.
Investigations are ongoing.
The exercise was spearheaded by ACP Samaroo, Snr. Supt. Ramphall and Supt. Powder and coordinated by ASP Ramharrack and Insp. Highly. It also included members of the Multi-Optional Policing Section, the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Guard and Emergency Branch, the North Central Task Force, Area East, Northern Division Task Force, Area North, Tunapuna Warrant Staff, the Tunapuna Criminal Investigations Department and the Canine Branch.
In the second exercise conducted in the Southern Division between 4 am and 8 am, also on Monday, officers were on patrol in Friendship Village, when they observed a male suspect placing an object under a motor vehicle.
A search resulted in one Uzi firearm, a magazine and three rounds of ammunition being found hidden under the car.
The suspect, a 28-year-old of the district, was arrested in connection with the find.
An exercise in the Central Division was conducted around 7 am yesterday and resulted in officers finding one revolver and four rounds of ammunition at Diamond Road, Claxton Bay.
The same party of officers later arrested a 30-year-old man of the district for possession of a quantity of marijuana.
Meanwhile, in the North-Eastern Division (NED), officers conducted an intelligence-led surveillance exercise between 3 pm and 6 pm yesterday in the Malick district.
During the exercise, officers proceeded to Ninth Street, Malick, where they intercepted a vehicle with two male occupants.
A search of the vehicle resulted in officers finding a pistol loaded with a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition.
Two men, a 22-year-old and a 24-year-old, both of the district, were arrested in connection with the find. The 24-year-old suspect who had been under sustained surveillance for some time, is wanted in connection with several shooting offences and robbery incidents in the North-Eastern, Northern and Central Division.
The exercise was spearheaded by Snr. Supt. (Ag.) Maharaj, Supt. (Ag.) Ramjohn and ASP Pariman, coordinated by Insp. Bharath, supervised by Sgt. (Ag.) Belilum and included officers of the NED Intelligence Unit and Task Force.