Police have charged four men with robbery with violence and possession of a firearm and ammunition against two Chinese nationals.
The Police Service said in a release yesterday that the men were charged after being arrested by officers of the Rio Claro Criminal Investigations Department (CID) during an anti-crime exercise in the district.
Eliot Hamilton, 27, a security guard of Lamonte Street, Longdenville; Odell Prieto, 19, a labourer of Sand Hill Road, Tabaquite; Keron Martin, 25, a labourer of London Street, Longdenville; and Omar Alexis, 18, of no fixed place of abode, were also jointly charged with assault with intent to rob, following investigations into an incident which occurred on September 9.
The statement said the incident is alleged to have occurred around 7.15 pm when the two victims, one a proprietor of a bar along Naparima Mayaro Road, Rio Claro, were preparing to secure the premises.
The victims were approached by two men, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, who said it was a robbery.
One of the victims was dealt several blows about the body and relieved of a quantity of cash and alcoholic drinks valued at $800, before the suspects escaped in a white Nissan Tiida.
The vehicle was intercepted around 3 am the following day along Cunapo Road Junction, Tabaquite Road, Rio Claro, by officers of the Rio Claro CID, with the assistance of the Crime Patrol Unit and Eastern Division Task Force officers.
A search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in officers discovering the stolen cash, drinks and a pistol loaded with nine rounds of 9 mm ammunition.
All four were arrested. The charges were laid by WPC Thampa Sookoo, of the Rio Claro CID and PC Sheldon Sutherland, also of the Rio Claro CID.
Two of the accused— Hamilton and Prieto were charged in connection with the robbery and assault of a couple on Saturday July 14, 2018, in the Rio Claro district.
The accused were conveyed to the Chaguanas Police Station, pending further enquiries into other robbery, shooting and firearm related offences in the Central Division.