Police seized 11 illegal firearms and arrested 10 suspects, including two locals and eight Venezuelans, during an Operation Horizon exercise yesterday.
Between 10 am and 4 pm on Sunday 19th November, 2023, a team of officers from the South Western Division, Point Fortin Municipal Police, and members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force intercepted a Kia panel van in the vicinity of Chatham South Trace, Point Fortin.
The van was driven by a 29-year-old, who was accompanied by a 23-year-old. When the officers searched the front portion of the vehicle they found and seized one revolver containing five rounds .38 ammunition.
The officers continued their search of the vehicle and found 9 Venezuelans, including a 4-year-old child seated at the back of the panel van.
While searching the back of the van, the officers found a bag containing eight revolvers and two 9mm pistols, both fitted with magazines along with seven rounds of .38 ammunition, two white boxes each containing 24 rounds of 12-gauge cartridges. The officers also found a transparent plastic bag containing cocaine and 28 bottles of Venezuelan alcohol.
All items found were seized and the persons mentioned were arrested. The child was handed over to a relative. Cpl Charles is continuing enquiries.
The exercise was sanctioned by CoP Erla Christopher and coordinated by ACP Kelvern Thompson and Supt Balkaran.