Police officers seized six more illegal firearms yesterday,including an AR-15 rifle and AK-47, to bring the tally to 40 illegal firearms seized in February.
In a statement, the TTPS said three of the firearms, along with varying quantities of ammunition, were seized during exercises conducted in the North Central Division, while the fourth weapon was seized in the North Eastern Division.
It said while conducting an exercise around 5:15 pm yesterday, officers received certain information, then proceeded to Tunapuna Road, Tunapuna. There, the officers intercepted a white Nissan B12 vehicle, with three occupants. However, two of the occupants ran away and escaped, leaving the front seat passenger in the vehicle. When the officers searched the vehicle,they reportedly found one AR-15 rifle, with a magazine loaded with 14 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, in the back seat of the vehicle.
The officers took possession of the illegal items, arrested a 23-year- old man from Valencia, and are currently searching for the two other suspects.
In another incident, a suspect lost a footrace with the police and was detained. Around 3:30 pm yesterday Emergency Response Patrol (ERP) officers were on duty, proceeding east
along San Pedro Road, Maracas, St. Joseph, when they observed a man with a firearm in his right hand. The man looked in the direction of the marked police vehicle, turned and
ran away.
They reportedly pursued the man and observed him throw a black object resembling a firearm, into the nearby bushes.
The suspect was subsequently detained.
While searching along the edge of a river, officers are said to have found a firearm, fitted with one magazine, containing 10 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition.
Police said when they interviewed the suspect, they received information about the location of another firearm. They then proceeded to a bushy area where they retrieved another pistol and 11 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition.
According to the TTPS, later in the day around 7:30 pm, officers received information, and then proceeded to a bushy area along the Maracas Royal Road, Lluengo Village. There they discovered one firearm fitted with a magazine, and one round of nine-millimetre ammunition.
Meanwhile, in the North Eastern Division, a search warrant was executed for firearms and ammunition at a residence located at Industrial Lane, Morvant. When a search of the residence and the surrounding environment was conducted, a bucket which contained one Micro Draco 7.62 mm x 39 mm AK-47 firearm fitted with a double magazine containing 53 rounds of 7.62
millimetre ammunition was found. A 28-year-old man was arrested and taken to the San Juan Police Station to be processed and charged.
Additionally, the Police Service said around noon yesterday officers of the Southern Division responded to a report of a man armed with a firearm at Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando. Upon arrival, they reportedly observed a man brandishing a firearm. The officers instructed the man to drop the weapon and he complied. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested and the officers seized one Beretta nine-millimetre pistol fitted with an extended magazine containing 14 rounds of ammunition.