The arrest of known gang leaders and the seizure of arms and ammunition over the past 72 hours by police officers have been identified as the main reason for the sudden drop in murders and violent crime.
Up to press time on Tuesday, the murder count of 298 remained unchanged.
Which means there have been no murders since Sunday.
On Tuesday, an unidentified nude body was found at Vista Heights in Tacarigua. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
Police were told that at about 1.30 pm a naked man was seen running through the Vista Heights community.
The police were notified, and upon arrival, they found him unresponsive. There were no visible marks of violence, however, the area was cordoned off and officials from the Homicide Bureau were called to the scene.
ACP (Crime) Jayson Forde told the Guardian Media that several people of interest were arrested over the weekend.
He some were released and some were charged and taken the courts. He did not reveal how many people were charged nor the offences. The charges, according to sources, were in relation to outstanding warrants, possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of marijuana.
But, well-placed police sources told Guardian Media none of the charges were gang-related.
According to police sources, on the heels of last week’s spike in homicides, which saw 25 people murdered in one week, an immediate crime plan and strategy based on intelligence and technology was initiated throughout all nine police divisions.
The intelligence-led exercises were carried out by various units and resulted in seizures of 25 illegal firearms.
During exercises in the Port-of-Spain Division, seven priority offenders and other known offenders were arrested by police officers in connection with recent shootings and firearm offences.
The suspects were taken to various police stations for further enquiries. Some of them were subsequently charged while others were released because of lack of evidence, police said.
Officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force also carried out several searches and recovered two firearms and a quantity of ammunition.
In the Southern Division, officers of the Southern Division Task Force and Marabella Criminal Investigations Department conducted a number of searches, which resulted in three firearms, and quantities of drugs and ammunition being found. These exercises will continue for an undisclosed period.
Last week there were 25 murders - the last two were recorded on Saturday night at Maloney and Freeport.
Minister of National Security, Stuart Young did not respond to queries seeking his comment on the significant reduction of homicides and whether the weekend’s exercises would have contributed to it.
Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith would only say that he was out of the country last week.
Members of the public who may have any information that will assist police in their intelligence and evidence-led operations to contact them at 555, 999, 800-TIPS or 482-GARY.