Concerns about contraband coming through the legal ports continue to engage the attention of law enforcement agencies. There have been many busts of illegal guns and ammunition discovered in containers at ports in Trinidad. Recently on February 9 2024, officers of the North-Central Division went to a bond in Trincity where they found four dismantled AR 15s and six magazines hidden in a package containing a humidifier. No one was arrested in connection with the seizure.
Following this in April 2021, a joint team of police and Customs and Excise Division officers found and seized 30 guns and 762 rounds of ammunition inside a bond package at the Piarco International Airport. The discovery of these weapons confirmed suspicions that high-powered guns, often featured in bloody local gang feuds, were not being shipped via shady, unconventional means but alongside legitimate cargo through established ports.
According to statistics from the TTPS Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) branch, as of February 19, police have found and seized 71 guns compared to 111 guns for the same period in 2023.
So members of the public often ask, why are there no arrests related to these finds when there must be shipping addresses and names of persons attached to these guns shipped to Trinidad. While the packages often carry names and addresses, the officer said inquiries often lead to dead ends as the names are usually fabricated: “As part of the inquiry, we visit the addresses where these packages were destined to go, but all the time the persons that live there are not the person whose name is on the box.
Law enforcement officials remain confident in the ability of the police and partner agencies to respond to the threat of illegal firearms traffickers, however it remains a major issue for all citizens.