Hours after a State of Emergency went into effect in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, a man breached security at the Piarco International Airport and ran onto the airport ramp.
However, the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) has made it clear that the incident had nothing to do with the ongoing SoE. Contrary to social media reports, the man was not armed, nor did he attempt to enter any of the aircraft on the ground.
Video of the incident began circulating online on Saturday. It shows a man lying on the ground, restrained by AATT security personnel before being loaded into an AATT vehicle.
According to a late-night release from AATT, the incident occurred at 5.10 p.m. on July 18.
“Airport personnel who were nearby at the time raised an alarm and, in accordance with the security procedures at the aerodrome, the individual was immediately intercepted and detained by airport security personnel,” the release stated.
He was taken to the Piarco Police Station where he was charged. Guardian Media understands the man is autistic and had been waiting for a flight to Tobago to join his mother.
This marks the latest in a series of incidents at Piarco International. On April 17, 38-year-old Arkim Quash was gunned down outside the airport’s arrivals hall. Two months later, on June 6, a Pita Pit fast food outlet on the premises was robbed of an undisclosed sum of cash.
In response, AATT increased security measures. Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour also revealed that AATT management had entered discussions with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to establish a permanent police post on the compound.
